If I Die Young
by poet84
Summary: One students death shakes the foundation of an entire school's heirarchy. Will her final farewell change things for the better? Or will it make everything worse?
1. Chapter 1

****Hello everyone! I have decided to write a Twilight story now. I seem to be making my way through all of the different fandoms slowly. I will be continuing my other stories, but I had to get this out of my head because it was driving me crazy, or crazier. Anyway, enjoy****

***Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I plan on profiting from this story in any way shape or form.***

A hush settled over the gathered crowd as a middled aged man approached the microphone. The air was thick and heavy, creating a somber mood in the large gymnasium. Every few moments someone would shift in their seat, uncomfortable with the tense atmosphere. Many in attendance questioned their presence, but it was mandatory for all students. An annoying screeching sound echoed throughout the room as the microphone was adjusted and principal Skinner addressed the gathered crowd, "Good afternoon, students. It with a heavy heart that I stand before you today. One of your fellow students passed away last night," murmurs broke out from the students gathered, but they quieted down to hear who it was. "Breanna Tanner, or more affectionately known as Bree, was a junior here at Forks High. She enjoyed writing stories and listening to music. Her 17th birthday was going to be next week. Her parents informed us that Bree was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and after nearly a year in remission she succombed to her illness." Principal Skinner took a deep breath and held up the notebook that was given to him by Bree's parents. He was hesitant to read Bree's words at first, but the message that was written deserved to be shared. Taking one more steadying breath he addressed his students once more, "In my hands is Bree's notebook. She wrote a farewell of sorts to all of you, and her parents have asked that I read it today."

_To my fellow students,_

_You don't know me. I was never popular, I had no special talent, I wasn't the smartest person, and I wasn't overly pretty. I was invisible to all of you, but it allowed me to see things that many of you miss, or take for granted. High school is a confusing time in our lives. Many are tryin to fit in, some going to great lengths just to be popular, and others try their best to stand out. Some of you hide who you are, or push away you feelings because you're scared of being rejected. _

_Some of you have talents that you hide and I think that is sad. You should be proud of what you can do. I'm sure none of you know that Alice Brandon is a fantastic artist and has a sketchbook full of clothing designs. _The girl in question ducked her head as everyone elses eyes flew to her. _I saw her drawing in it one day and was blown away. Another surprise would be the fact that Rosalie Hale fixes cars in her spare time. _Several gasps escaped at this news, mostly from the cheerleaders who were looking at their leader with a hint of disgust as she glowered toward the principal who was telling all in attendance of her extracurricular activities. _I think that it is amazing that someone as beautiful as her enjoys such a messy hobby. It just goes to show you that you shouldn't judge someone on how they look. _

_Hiding your talent is a shame, but hiding how you truly feel is even worse, especially if the feeling is reciprocatied. _The entire crowd shifted uncomfortably, wondering who she would mention now. _Is it so wrong to like someone who isn't a part of you 'click'? Love is blind to high school drama. We don't choose who we want, our heart chooses for us. With that being said, if the popular rocker and shy bookworm want to be together then let them. _Several heads turned toward Edward Cullen, who remained fixated on principal Skinner, while everyone else was trying to figure out what shy bookworm she was talking about. _Love doesn't know social status, nor does it know gender apparently. I know that being a gay or lesbian teen is hard enough, but why can't they be happy just like everyone else? You know who you are, but I hope that you can one day find the courage to be proud of yourself and your partner. _

_My whole point to this letter is to let you all know that, in a few years, none of this will matter. Why wait years to be happy when you can start now. My life was cut short, but I hope that my death will help some of you to break free of your rules and stupid pride and allow you to be happy. Take risks sometimes, don't be afraid to love, enjoy the little things in life because they might not be there tomorrow, and embrace who you are because you are perfect. You only get one chance at life so make it count. _

_Bree Tanner_

The gym was silent, save for a few sobs and whispered words of comfort. Principal Skinner stealthily wiped a few stray tears from his eyes before continuing, "Bree requested a song be played and several of our music students have kindly agreed to it." Principal Skinner walked over toward the rest of the staff to take his seat while the band set up. It only took a few minutes before they began to play, Angela Webber taking the microphone to sing while the rest of the band surrounded her.

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

_Sink me in the river at dawn_

_Send me away with the words of a love song_

_Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother_

_She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors_

Oh, and life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no

Ain't even gray, but she buries her baby

_The sharp knife of a short life_

_Well, I've had just enough time_

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom

_I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger_

_I've never known the loving of a man_

_But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand_

There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever

Who would have thought forever could be severed by

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls

What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar

_They're worth so much more after I'm a goner_

_And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singing_

Funny, when you're dead how people start listening

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The ballad of a dove

_Go with peace and love_

_Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket_

Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them, oh

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

So put on your best, boys

And I'll wear my pearls

Angela's voice broke as she finished off the song. Many in the audience were wiping tears from their eyes as they all filed out of the gymnasium, each lost in their own thoughts. Some merely contemplating Bree's words, and others planning on following her advice.

****Okay, so, I am planning on possibly continuing this story to show the effects of Bree's final message on everyone, but with how busy I am it might not be for a little bit, especially since I have two other stories that I am writing as well. I just couldn't get this story out of my head and had to at least start it. Let me know if you are interested in a continuation****


	2. Chapter 2

****Okay, so I started writing this chapter and my stupid computer deleted it. I was pissed that I had to re-write it so now it is different than originally planned, but it is staying this way for now. I will be switching between different points of view and am starting with Edward. I'm used to writing in third person point of view so I'm sorry if this turned out weird. Anyway, enjoy****

EPOV

Have you ever felt trapped? Not literally of course, but figuratively. That's how I feel every damn day. Today feels so much worse after that damn assembly. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea who the hell the girl was that died, but what she said in that stupid letter got to me. I mean, how the hell did she know? Was she some kind of stalker? I'm pretty sure that I've been able to hide my little obsession from everyone else, but apparently I didn't hide it well enough if some nobody could see it.

Speaking of my little obsession, she's got her nose in another book. I already know it's not the same book from yesterday because the cover is smaller and bound in leather. She never has the same book for more than two days. I'm not surprised because she is constantly reading, but it would be nice if she didn't hide her beautiful face all the time. Every once in a while I will get a glimpse of her deep, chocolate colored eyes when she goes to take a drink. Sometimes I will see her look up from her book, scan the cafeteria, and then return to the words in front of her. I would love to walk up to her and talk to her about the books she reads, but I can't.

Every high school is the same. There is a hierarchy that you either abide by, or it crushes you. The popular kids who consist of the rich, snobby, beautiful, and athletic, rule the school. Then you have the stoners, motor heads, geeks, nerds, and loners. There are no Goth kids here because let's face it; these people aren't that original or creative. There also aren't any skater kids because this is Forks, and it rains all the freaking time. You would have to be retarded to want to skate out in that shit all day. For the most part, these groups don't mesh. The stoners are tolerated because they provide weed to the popular kids, but other than that, you don't associate with those beneath you.

My status as the front man for the only decent band in the area would be enough to make me popular, but the fact that I'm rich is the real reason I'm popular. I honestly can't stand most of the people I'm forced to associate with, but they are the ones that hire the band so I have to put up with them. Without them, the band would be dead and I can't have that. That is the reason I can't just walk up to her and say hi, or sit and talk with her. It would be social suicide for me and my band.

When the principal was reading that damn letter and it mentioned the 'popular rocker' I knew it was me she was talking about, but I tried to act indifferent. I know people were looking at me to see if I was the one she was talking about. I figured that if I didn't react then they would either forget or move on. It seemed to work because they started looking for the other guys.

I wonder how much of the stuff in that letter was true. That Alice chick seemed to be affected by what was said, but what about Rosalie? She seemed pissed that anyone would accuse her of touching a car. Honestly, I can't see the ice queen getting her nails dirty, or heaven forbid, broken. I can just picture her hanging out with guys like Emmett McCarty and Jacob Black, drinking beer and rebuilding an engine. The thought alone makes me laugh harder than I have in a while.

Beautiful brown eyes meet mine as my laughter calms and I'm mesmerized. It only lasts a few seconds before her pale, flawless face begins to flush an adorable shade of red and her eyes drop back to the book in her hands. I sigh, wishing that I could just stay in that moment for a little longer. It makes me wonder about the other part of that letter. Could she possibly like me too? I've never had to wonder if a girl liked me before because they would always come to me. I may sound conceited, but I know that I'm good looking. I'm tall, toned and muscular, but nothing too huge. I have green eyes and reddish, brown hair that I'm told looks almost copper in the sun. It sticks up all over the place and pisses me off, but girls seem to like it. I wonder if she likes it.

My thoughts are interrupted by Rosalie Hale, queen bitch of Forks High, yelling at people to move. I swear that girl has issues. She is of course flanked by her minions on the cheerleading squad, but from the way they're talking, there is trouble in paradise.

"I can't believe you fix cars! That is like, so gross!" Jessica Stanley whined, causing me to cringe from the shrill sound of her voice.

Rosalie's anger was palpable as she turned on the shorter girl and held up her perfectly manicured hands, "Do these hands look like they've ever worked on a car? People who work on cars are greasy and have black shit stuck to their hands! Does it look like I have grease or black shit on my hands?"

Tanya, Rosalie's second in command, quickly intervened, "Look, Rosalie, we were just asking. I mean, that dead girl totally called you out."

Rosalie screamed in frustration, "The bitch was lying! I don't why the hell she would say that shit, but it's not true!"

"Whatever, okay." Tanya let Rosalie walk ahead of her before rolling her eyes. This is why I hate high school right here. People pretend to be your friend to your face and then they stab you in the back. Maybe that's just the popular kids, I don't know.

I shifted my eyes away from the drama to find my little bookworm, but caught Emmett McCarty watching Rosalie and shaking his head. I wonder what the hell that was about. Maybe he's upset because she isn't really into cars. Or, maybe he's upset because she is and she's denying it. I don't really care either way. My eyes continued toward the brunette beauty, but she was no longer there.

* * *

By the end of the day, I'm done. Ever since the assembly, people have been whining and crying over the poor dead girl. I bet half of them didn't know who the hell she was. I bet they couldn't describe her if they tried. It's sad that people are using some girl's death to get attention. Everyone else seems to be in gossip mode. I have heard more rumors in the last few hours than I have in the last couple of months combined. I mean, seriously, don't they have anything better to do? I don't usually listen to the gossip, but when it involved my favorite brunette, I had to listen.

_Did you hear? That Bella chick is obsessed with the guys in Eclipse and they had to get a restraining order!_

_What? Nah, I've never seen her at any of their gigs. _

_Duh! It's because she's not allowed within a hundred feet of them! _

_Well I heard that Crowley is the one that pursued _her_ and she turned him down. _

_I thought it was that Angela Weber chick and she was obsessed with Cullen. _

_No, didn't you guys listen this morning? Whoever it is, the feeling is mutual. I think its Cullen and Bella. _I cringed when they started getting a little too close to the truth.

_What the hell would Cullen want with someone like Swan? She's a dog. Unless he's into bestiality now. _My blood was boiling and it took everything I had not to beat the hell out of the douchebag. How dare they talk about her like that!? She was beautiful, and sweet, and innocent. I had to get out of here before I heard anymore crap. My fists were clenched tight and all I wanted to do was pound these ignorant fucks into the ground. I'm not usually a violent person, but you don't screw with people I care about.

I made my way to my car, but stopped when I saw Rosalie and Emmett having a heated discussion near the corner of the building. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, neither of them was happy about it. Rosalie looked angry, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that I never thought I would see. Emmett looked resigned. He was a pretty jovial guy from what I saw, always smiling and cracking jokes. It was weird to see him looking so down. Once they separated I turned back toward my car. My original plan of getting out of here as soon as I can has been delayed twice, and all I wanted to do was get home, shower, and get lost in my music.


	3. Chapter 3

****So these first few chapters are going to each be from a different POV and will be from the same time frame. There will be small parts where they overlap and those will be featured from a different POV in the next chapter along with all the new information. I want to say thank you to Claire55578 for being my first and only reviewer, as well as all of those who have favorited and followed so far. This chapter is from Rose's POV. Enjoy****

Rose POV

The cool water felt good on my overheated face. I was livid and a little mortified that some know it all loser knew about my love of mechanics and decided to broadcast it to the entire school. Working on cars was the one thing that was mine. It was relaxing, and fun, and I honestly liked hanging out with some of the guys from the auto shop my uncle owned, and I was greatful that he would let me hang around without telling my parents. Emmett and Jacob were really fun to be around, but they were leary of me at first. I don't really blame them. Being popular meant that I had an image to uphold, and that included not associating with anyone deemed unworthy. They were cool enough to let me help and hang out with them without expecting me to change the way I treated them at school. I sometimes felt bad because I really liked them, especially Emmett, but being popular is all I've ever known and my mother would kill me if I did something to embarass her. I needed to nip this in the bud before my so called 'friends' decided to strip my status.

With a final look in the mirror, I smoothed down a few stray hairs and deemed myself presentable. Time to go put on a show. When I exited the bathroom I immediately found Tanya, Jessica, and Lauren surrounding a short girl with spiky black hair. I know she is in one of my classes, but can't remember her name to save my life. For a moment I considered avoiding my friends and disappearing to the cafeteria, but that would only make things worse. When I got closer I was able to hear Jessica's shrill voice, "You're a band geek! What do you know about fashion? I mean, seriously, who would want to wear something you designed?"

Ah, so this must be the girl that was mentioned in the letter. I took stock of her outfit and had to agree with my annoying friend. The jeans she was wearing were baggy and made her look frumpy, her shirt was a simple white, long sleeved v-neck which would be acceptable if it fit her right and didn't have several stains across the front, and her shoes looked like something a homeless person would scoff at. If you ignored the trainwreck of an outfit, she was actually pretty. Her skin was flawless, her bright blue eyes were a stark contrast to her jet black hair, and her features were sharp, yet delicate.

I watched as she squared her shoulders and stood up to my friends which takes massive balls. Her voice was high pitched, but not in an ear piercing sort of way. It was almost pleasant, "I may be a band geek, but that's not all I am! I may not be able to afford all the best clothes, but I enjoy fashion and I'm going to be a designer one day! You'll see!"

The laugher that surrounded her declaration seemed to deflate the poor girl and I could see her shoulders sag a little. For some reason I wanted to save her from this torture so I approached before anything else ould be said, "Ladies, let's go." I turned on my heel knowing that nothing else needed to be said. They would follow me because I rule this school. Now if only I could rule it the way I wanted to. There was a sound of shuffling papers and more laugher from behind me and I turned to look. The girl's books and papers were scattered across the hall and I could see her fighting back tears. I turned around quickly so I wouldn't see her cry. Her pained look was making me angry at the three harpies that I hung around.

"Rosalie, wait up!" I heard Tanya call, so I slowed my pace and looked over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of the girl once more. Thankfully, another girl was helping her pick up her stuff. Tanya's face blocked my view and a scowl found its way onto mine. "So interesting assembly today, huh?"

She was trying to get information from me. She wanted to know if it was true that I fixed cars, but I wasn't going to help her, "Yeah, I guess." She opened her mouth to talk again, but I continued before she could say anything, "I'll see you ladies at lunch." The tardy bell rang and I made my way to the gym with Tanya sending calculating glances at my retreating form.

* * *

I had never been so thankful that I only shared two classes with my friends. It made it easier to avoid them. Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid them for long because they caught me just outside of the cafeteria, "Rosalie! Did you hear? That girl that died, Bree, was in love with Edward! Remember when she said that the popular rocker and shy bookworm belonged together? Well she was talking about her and him. I guess they had been seeing each other behind everyone's backs! That's also why she wanted that song to be sung. There's that line about a boy in town saying they would love her forever, and it's supposed to be him!"

I rolled my eyes at Lauren's idiotic speech, "She was talking about someone who was still alive. She wasn't talking about herself." I was glad that they hadn't mentioned me so far. I was hoping that they would forget about it. Apparently luck wasn't with me today.

"So, Rosalie...what's this about you fixing cars?" Tanya questioned.

I groaned and flung the doors to the cafeteria open a little harder than necessary. There were several freshmen blocking my way and I screamed at them to move. I wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone right now. Jessica's whiny voice was definitely the last thing I wanted to hear, "I can't believe you fix cars! That is like, so gross!"

I really wanted to hit something. Honestly, I really wanted to hit her, but instead I held up my hands and started in on her, "Do these hands look like they've ever worked on a car? People who work on cars are greasy and have black shit stuck to their hands! Does it look like I have grease or black shit on my hands?" I don't normally curse unless I'm mad, and right now I'm beyond pissed.

"Look, Rosalie, we were just asking. I mean, that dead girl totally called you out." Tanya was trying to calm me down, but it wasn't working. She wanted to see me brought down a peg or two. She had wanted the head cheerleader spot, but it was given to me instead. She also wanted to see me fall because that would mean that she could take over as the head of the school and I wasn't giving up my position for anything.

I was tired of my fake friends and their even faker concern so I screamed in frustration at my situation and lied to get them to shut up, "The bitch was lying! I don't why the hell she would say that shit, but it's not true!"

She put her hands up and muttered, "Whatever, okay," and I walked away. I could feel their eyes on me and I hated it. I caught sight of Emmett out of the corner of my eye and he was shaking his head at me like he was disappointed. I had to admit that it made me sad. I really liked Emmett and I didn't want to lose him as a friend. Rather than dwell on the drama, I grabbed an apple and a water for lunch and made my way over to our table.

* * *

I was thankful when my Spanish teacher let us go early. I had enough of people staring at me and whispering. I was use to attention, but this wasn't the kind of attention I wanted. On my way out of the class room Emmett caught my eye and nodded his head toward the far side of the building. I had a good idea of what he wanted to talk about, and I would have liked to avoid it and go home, but I couldn't do that to him. Instead, I followed him around the building out of sight of everyone else. "What do you want, Emmett?"

He crossed his rather large arms over his chest and just stared at me for a minute. I was slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny because it was like he could read me. When he finally spoke I jumped slightly, "Why did you deny it?"

I didn't have to ask what 'it' was. I knew exactly what he was talking about, "I have a reputation to uphold, Emmett. I thought you understood that."

He scoffed, "So what? If they don't like you for you, then screw 'em!"

"It's not that simple, Emmett! This is who I am!"

I could see sadness in his eyes, and I knew that no matter how much I tried to hide it with my anger, that same sadness was reflected in my eyes, "That is not who you are, Rose. I know the real you. You aren't some barbie doll that can't think for herself and who needs her friends and her parent to make all of her decisions for her! You're strong, and beautiful, and can tear down and rebuild an engine faster than most guys I know," I saw his face fall more, "Don't let them make you feel ashamed for who you are, please." With that he walked away and I did the same. His words were on repeat in my head and I needed to get away and do some serious thinking.


	4. Chapter 4

****Here is our next POV which comes courtesy of Alice. I would like to say thank you to Claire55578, baby cyclops, kgunter34, and my guest reviewer for their thoughts on the previous chapter. I'm sorry if I don't respond to all reviews, but I do appreciate them. Anyways, enjoy****

Alice POV

Why me? It's not that I'm ashamed of my designs or anything, because they're actually pretty good if you ask me, but people here only see what they want to see. I'm not exactly known for my fashion sense. It's not my fault that my family doesn't have money. My mom works two jobs just so she can support my brother Riley and I. I've offered to get a job too, but she doesn't want it to affect my grades. If I have any hope of going to college then I need a scholarship.

I'm a little curious how this Bree girl found out about my sketches. I'm usually very careful about keeping them hidden when others are around. Admittedly, I do tend to get absorbed whenever I am sketching, so she could have snuck up on me one day. I wish I knew what she looked like, then maybe I would remember. _The Yearbook! _I could check in there and find out what she looks like, and maybe find out more about her!

I turned the corner and made it to my locker without incident, thankfully. Ever since the assembly this morning people have been staring at me and whispering when I walk by. On a normal day, I wouldn't mind the attention. Today however, I'm feeling more self concious than ever. I get the feeling that this day is just going to get worse.

My fears are confirmed moments later when I close my locker door and turn to see Tanya, Jessica, and Lauren surrounding me. Tanya is the first to break the silence, "Hi, Alice. How are you doing today?" Her sickly sweet voice makes me internally cower. Anyone who knows Tanya, knows that she is anything but sweet.

I want to simply turn and run, but my feet don't seem to be working so I try and answer without stuttering like a fool, "I'm good. How are you?" I'm sure my smile looks more like a grimace, but it can't be helped.

Her face lights up with a wicked smile and I know I'm about to regret not running, "Well, it has definitely been interesting so far. First, that poor girl dies, which is tragic really. Then, there was that assembly. I must admit that I'm grateful we got to miss the first two periods. I hate Math. Anyways, I was delighted to find out that you are a designer, and I was hoping I could see some of your work."

I know my jaw is nearing the floor, but it takes a moment for me to get my mouth to close. I know this is one of her tricks, so I simply try to appease her so that I can get away, "Actually, I don't have any of my sketches here. Maybe some other time."

All three of the harpies break out into shrill laughter for a moment before Jessica jumps in, "You're a band geek! What do you know about fashion? I mean, seriously, who would want to wear something you designed?"

I knew I should expect this, but what I didn't expect was my reaction. Her words upset me and I wanted nothing more than to let my fist fly into her face. I'm not a violent person by nature, but right now I was considering changing that. Instead, I squared my shoulders and stood up to the annoying little twit, "I may be a band geek, but that's not all I am! I may not be able to afford all the best clothes, but I enjoy fashion and I'm going to be a designer one day! You'll see!"

Their laughter once again filled the halls, but this time it was accompanied by many of the other students that were in the halls with them. All of my anger from a moment ago vanished and I could feel myself deflate. It was in that moment that Rosalie Hale showed up. She didn't join in the laughter, but rather ordered the others away. The look in her eyes was cold when she addressed her friends, but for a moment I saw compassion in her eyes as they slid over my face before she turned and stomped off. I was stunned for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened when I felt my books and all of my papers fly out of my hands. Everyone started laughing again and I could feel the tears in my eyes. I didn't want them to see me cry so I tried to hold it in. I was glad when the she-devils walked away. I couldn't hold in my tears much longer, and if I let them slip while they were still around then my life would be a living hell.

I bent down to pick up all of my stuff when I saw someone else in my peripheral doing the same. I turned to see Bella Swan. She was mirroring my position and gathering my papers that were scattered across the hall. When she caught me looking she offered a small smile. I returned it with a watery one of my own before turning back to the task at hand. It only took a minute and I was thankful for the help. "Did you draw this?" I looked up to see Bella holding one of my newest sketches that I had started this morning. I could feel my face turning red and I nodded. "It's really good," she offered me my papers, "You shouldn't let them get you down."

I sighed, "It's easier said then done." She nodded and gave me one more smile before taking off down the hall.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by with more stares and whispers. I did my best to ignore it all, and made it through without another incident. It wasn't until after school that my day started to go down hill again. I missed my bus because I was so distracted by Tanya talking to that new boy Jasper. It wasn't any secret that Tanya went through boys in this school like water. I was a little disappointed when I saw her with Jasper at first. I haven't talked to him since his move here from Texas at the beginning of the year, but I have noticed him, and he doesn't seem like the type to go for someone like her. It only took a minute of seeing them together to know that my original assumption was right.

He looked uncomfortable and was obviously looking for a way out. His posture was rigid and his eyes were wide with fear. When his baby blues locked with mine I was stunned for a moment. I felt drawn to him for a moment, but I quickly averted my eyes. Boys like him don't go for girls like me. I needed to get away before I allowed myself to look at him again. It was then that I noticed my bus taking off without me. I wanted to scream in frustration. _This is why I need a car! _It was a four mile walk to my house, so instead of getting mad, I started walking. Mom was probably going to be mad at me because I was supposed to watch Riley tonight, but there really isn't anything I can do about it now.

I only got about a block before Emmett's gigantic jeep pulled up beside me, "Need a ride squirt?"

"Yes, please, thank you." He held out his hand so that he could help pull me into his monstrosity. "You need a step ladder to get into this thing."

He laughed and shook his head, "No, actually, I don't. Maybe you just need to grow a couple more inches."

I playfully slapped his arm and we took off in the direction of home. My mom works with Emmett's mom at the hospital overnight, so growing up we used to spend a lot of time together. When we got into high school we stopped hanging out so much, but I would still consider him one of my best friends. He spends most of his time in the garage where he works, or hanging out in La Push with Jacob Black, but every once in a while he will make time to come and hang out with Riley and I.

"So are you working tonight?" I ask trying to strike up a conversation.

He shakes his head, "Nah, I've got today off and Jake is taking his dad to the doctor, so I thought I could come hang out with you and Riley tonight if that's cool."

"That's fine. Is Billy okay?" Jacob's parents were in an accident a few years ago. His mother was killed on impact while his father, Billy, ended up in a wheel chair. He gets social security, but it isn't enough to pay the bills, so Jacob supports them. His sisters help when they can, but most of their money goes toward school.

"He's fine. They just wanted to check him out. Jake's been working on his Rabbit. He thinks he might have it finished in a couple of weeks."

Jacob has been working on this old junker that he saved out of a junk yard when he was fifteen. Almost three years later and he is finally finishing it, "That's awesome! I bet he's excited."

He laughs, "You have no idea. It's all I've been hearing about for the last two weeks, ever since they told him that they finally got the part he needed." I join in his laughter and it feels good. After the day I've had it's nice to just laugh, and Emmett is the perfect person for it.

When we get to my house my mom is sitting on the front steps with her waitress outfit still on. Grease stains are splattered across the front of the light blue dress, and there are traces of mustard along her hip. She looks tired, but smiles when she sees Emmett and I walking up. "Hi kids! Emmett, it's been too long since you've been by!"

He scoops her up and hugs her gently before placing her back on her feet, "I've been working alot, but I'm gonna hang out tonight."

She pats his arm lovingly, "I'm glad. Riley's missed you. He wanted to know when you would take him to the shop so that he can help you fix up the cars."

Emmett shrugs, "I'd have to talk to my boss, but I wouldn't mind him hangin' around."

I punch his massive shoulder, probably doing more damage to my hand than him, "How come I never get invited to the shop?" I feign anger.

He laughs and ruffles my hair, "Because you hate getting dirty."

I laugh because he's right. I don't know a thing about cars, but I wouldn't mind hanging around him and Jake, "I could come and just hang out and talk to you."

His expression softens, "If my boss says it's okay, I'll bring you and Riley down one day to hang out. Okay?"

"Sounds good."

My mom hugs his side before excusing herself. She needs to rest for a little while before going in to the hospital tonight. Once we've settled into the couch, Emmett faces me and puts on his serious face, "So...are we gonna talk about this morning?"

"What about it?" I ask, wondering if he is talking about me being mentioned in the assembly, or the attack of the she-devils.

"You're sketches. I thought you stopped years ago."

I sighed, "I never stopped. My drawings were my thing. They helped me get through all the tough stuff, you know? Then I started sketching clothing designs, and I knew that people would make fun of me for it, so I hid it."

"Squirt...you shouldn't hide it. That girl was right, you should be proud of what you can do. Who cares about anyone else? They don't matter."

I give him a soft smile, "Thanks, Emmett. I think I needed that. Maybe you're right. Maybe it's time to stop hiding."

He swings his arm over my shoulder and pulls me into a side hug, "That's my girl! Now, what movie should we watch?" And just like that, the serious conversation is over.

****I just wanted to get your opinion. Whose POV do you want next? Emmett? or Bella?****


	5. Chapter 5

****Okay so there were two votes for Bella's POV so here she is. Thank you again to my reviewers, and I'm still deciding between Jasper and Emmett next, but for now, enjoy****

BPOV

I've never been a joiner, so when I heard that there was an assembly today, I hid underneath the bleachers to read. Sitting in a stuffy gym listening to cheerleaders drone on about whatever social event was coming up wasn't my idea of fun. I don't care about homecoming, I don't go to football games, and I couldn't care less about school spirit.

Okay, so _maybe _I don't care about homecoming because I am shy and nobody has asked me to go with them. Also, my lack of coordination could be a contributing factor in my hatred of school dances. It doesn't help that most of the boys here are either morons, or I only see them as friends. There is one boy who I would consider saying yes to, but he isn't exactly an option. The tyranical sycophants at this school are under the impression that they are better than everyone else, therefore popular kids can only date other popular kids, nerds can only date needs, and so on. It's not like I would stand a chance with a guy like Edward Cullen, but a girl can dream, right?

It wasn't until I saw other kids filing out of the gym doors that I left my hiding spot. When I slipped into the crowd I noticed something off. Several of the girls were crying, and most of the kids around me looked somber. I was curious about what happened at the assembly, but I wasn't about to go up to a stranger and ask what was wrong, so I just kept walking.

Entering the halls I could hear laughter, so the assembly couldn't have been all that bad. It wasn't until I saw what everyone was laughing about that I realized what was going on. I could see Tanya and the other skanks laughing while they walked off following Rosalie, papers were fluttering to the ground, and Alice Brandon was crouching down to pick up her stuff. I knew what she was going through so I decided to help. Alice was a nice girl. We shared a couple of classes, although we never actually talked unless we were forced to. When she looked up the surprise was evident on her face. She didn't expect anyone to help her. I gave her a small smile to let her know that it was okay and she returned it.

I was stacking all of the papers that I was collecting when I saw a picture of a beautiful dress. I'm not exactly girly, and I don't know anything about fashion, but the drawing was amazing; even I could see that. The dress was so detailed that I could see it in my mind. Even the girl that was drawn looked perfect. There were details on the hands face that you don't typically see, and on the rear shot of the dress you could see definition in the back. The dress was the focal point in the picture, but the details made it extraordinary. I was completely blown away.

I looked up to see that all of the books and papers had been picked up so I held up the drawing so she could see it, "Did you draw this?" She looked at me then the paper in my hand. I could see a blush color her cheeks and she nodded. I didn't want her to be embarassed so I continued, "It's really good. You shouldn't let them get you down."

She sighed and took the offered papers before speaking finally, "It's easier said than done." I knew exactly what she meant so I simply nodded and gave her another smile. She was obviously in her own world so I turned to go to class.

* * *

The day continued to get weird. I kept hearing rumors floating around about some girl dying, which would explain why so many people were upset earlier. I was surprised when I heard someone say Bree's name. At first I thought that they were wrong, but then someone else said the same thing. I didn't really know Bree, but I have talked to her a few times. She was always really nice, but she gave off this vibe like she knew something that I didn't. She would smile and her eyes would light up mischieviously. It was a little creepy to be honest.

I didn't really hear much else because everyone was talking in whispers, so I decided to leave it alone for now. Right before lunch I heard someone talking about a letter from Bree, but they disappeared before I could catch what it said. Honestly, I was getting really curious about this assembly. I finally decided to ask Jake after lunch. We had History together so I figured I could find out then. It's not like I was in any kind of rush.

When I enter the lunch room I immediately head to the corner table. I prefer to sit in the corner because I can see what is going on without anybody being able to sneak up behind me. I learned my lesson the hard way after having a tray of mashed potatos and gravy dumped on my head by Tanya two years ago. It wasn't pretty.

I chanced a glance around the cafeteria to see if anything interesting was going on, but I quickly got bored and took out my book. I would sometimes use my books as a cover to people watch. Most people thought all I did was read, but I really wasn't that boring. Okay, so maybe I am, but I like to read. I became lost in Shakespeare for a while, only breaking away for a moment to take a drink or look around to make sure that the bell hadn't rang yet. It wouldn't be the first time that I was late to class because I was too focused on a book.

It wasn't until I heard his heartfelt laughter that I allowed myself to be truly pulled away. My eyes were automatically drawn to the bronze haired boy that I secretly crushed on. He looked beautiful when he laughed. His eyes lit up and small dimples would appear in his cheeks. It was fascinating to watch. It only lasted for about thirty seconds, and as he was calming down his eyes caught mine. I was lost for a moment in his verdant eyes. There was so much warmth there and I hoped that he wasn't like the others. When I realized that I was still looking, I quickly dropped my eyes to my book, trying to hide my embarassment at being caught starring.

_Stupid, stupid, STUPID! _If Tanya or the others catch me looking at Edward, they'll make my life miserable. It was obvious that they all liked him, but he never paid them much attention. He was always nice, but stand offish. I liked seeing them get turned down. It wasn't exactly a secret that Tanya had slept with most of the guys in the school. She wasn't supposed to even socialize with guys who weren't popular, but I guess sex isn't really socializing.

When I heard Rosalie's voice screaming about fixing cars I wanted to laugh, but I knew better. I figured it would be better for me to disappear before I did something stupid, like draw attention to myself by snorting, or laughing out loud. I mean, seriously, who would believe that crap? The ice queen wouldn't be caught dead near a greasy engine. I'm a tomboy and I hang out with the grease monkeys, but I can't even bring myself to get near an engine.

I decided to spend the last little bit of lunch in my History class going over my notes. It was an easy class, but I didn't really have anything else to do. I was a little surprised when the door swung open and the new kid walked in. He seemed nice, but I knew that Tanya was already trying to sink her teeth into him. It was apparent by the look on his face that he was surprised to see me sitting here. He froze for a moment before opening his mouth, "I wasn't expectin' anyone else to be in here. I usually sit in here at lunch."

His accent surprised me for a second before I remembered that he transfered from Texas. I plastered a smile on my face before answering, "Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be in here, but the lunch room got a little loud for my tastes."

He smiled and sat down, "The lunch room is always a little loud for my tastes. I reckon it would be a little louder today, what with that girl dyin' and all."

I almost forgot about that! I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask him what happened today, "So, what exactly happened at the assembly today? I kinda missed it."

I could feel my blush, but thankfully he didn't mention it, "Oh, well...one of our fellow students died last night I guess. She'd been sick, and she wrote a note that the principal read to everyone. It was kinda interestin'."

My curiosity was peaked, "What did the note say?"

He held my gaze for a moment before answering, "Well, it talked about her noticin' things about the other students, and how we shouldn't be afraid to be ourselves, or love who we want. I don't really remember the specifics, but the points she made were good."

I nodded, not really knowing what else to do. When I looked back at him he seemed to be deep in thought, "Thanks for telling me. I'm Bella by the way."

He smiled and held out his hand to me, "Jasper. It's nice to meet you, Bella." We weren't able to say anything else because the bell rang and students began filing into the classroom.

I felt something poke my arm and I rolled my eyes, but turned to face Jake. His smile left no room to doubt that it was him who poked me and I couldn't help but smile back. He was my best friend, and he always knew how to make me smile. I was about to ask him what happened at the assembly, but the teacher called the class to order. Instead, I decided to write a note.

_Hey, what happened today at the assembly? I kinda ditched. _

I slid it under my arm and waited for him to take it. We had perfected our note passing years ago and could hold entire conversations without ever getting caught. I could hear him scribbling furiously and tried paying attention to the teacher while he wrote. It only took a few minutes before I felt the paper scraping against my arm.

_Bree Tanner died. She had cancer or something. Anyway, she wrote a note to the students. She talked about Alice Brandon drawing, and Rosalie Hale fixing cars. She also talked about love being blind to high school drama, and that we should do what we love rather than waiting to be happy, or something like that. Actually, she said something about the popular rocker and shy bookworm being in love. Any thoughts?_

What the hell? There is no way. She couldn't have known how I felt about Edward. I mean, I'm not actually in love with him...I don't think. I re-read the note a couple of times to stall for time. I didn't really want to answer the question so I asked some of my own.

_I can't believe that Bree is dead. She always seemed really nice. I actually saw one of Alice's drawings today in the hall. It was amazing! Besides that though, I do wonder if this letter isn't some kind of joke. I mean, Rosalie Hale working on cars? That would never happen. Now I kinda want to read the note for myself. What do you think? _

I slid the note back to him, but I couldn't focus on the teacher this time. My brain was still trying to figure out how Bree found out about my crush. It's not like I talked to her very often, and I talked to him even less. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I didn't really have to worry because the scrape of the paper against my arm informed me that he replied.

_I think I know you too well and you are trying to deflect. There are only four rocker guys that go to this school so it has to be one of them. My guess is either Cullen, or Hunter. I already know you don't like Paul and if it was Seth you would have said yes to him already. Spill!_

I sighed. Sometimes I hated how well he knew me. I could always refuse to answer, but then I would never hear the end of it. The teacher made his way down our aisle so I had to hide the note, giving me enough time to think of what I was going to say. Maybe I can get away with not answering for the rest of class. I was still formulating a plan of avoidance before another note appeared on my desk. This time it was from Emmett who sat next to Jake behind me. I opened the note apprehensively and groaned when I read it.

_So, bookworm, you gonna tell us who you're in love with, or do I need to announce to the school that you're the one Bree was talking about?_

I swear those two gossip more than any woman I know! Rather than face public humiliation, because Emmett really will embarass me like that, I pulled out Jake's note and quickly scribbled Edward's name. He grabbed it from me just as the bell rang, and I flew out of the classroom as fast as I could. I could feel the heat of my blush and nearly tripped over my own feet trying to get away from the two buffoons calling out my name.


	6. Chapter 6

****Okay everyone here is Emmett's POV. I want to thank my reviewers because you guys are great and it makes me happy to know that you like the story. Anyway, Enjoy****

EMPOV

Today has certainly been interesting so far. Everyone was talking about the assembly this morning, and I was very interested to see what people's reactions were. I was surprised when the principal read that letter. I've known Alice for years, and I know that she used to draw, but I thought she stopped after the crap with her dad. She was always drawing when we were younger, and she was really good. I hope she is drawing again because she shouldn't waste her talent.

I was also shocked to hear Rose's name come up. She refused to tell anyone that she was working with us at the shop because she was afraid that everyone would look down on her or something. Jake and I have tried to tell her that it would be okay if people found out, but she has always been hell-bent on keeping her secret. Maybe this will force her to admit how amazing she is. I don't know any other girl who can strip a car to its frame and rebuild it without looking at a manual. Hell, I don't know many guys that can do it, but she can. People around here know her as Rosalie Hale, the ice queen, because she can be a real bitch at school, but around Jake and I she's just Rose. Nobody knows how sweet she can be, or that every time she comes into the shop she brings cupcakes for all the guys. They don't know how funny she is, or that she loves horror movies. Simply put, they don't know her.

My thoughts are interrupted by Jake calling my name, "Hey man, wait up!"

I stop and wait outside the doors of the cafeteria for him. He's a big guy, reaching 6'4, and nearly as muscular as I am, so it takes him a few minutes to fight through the mass of students congregating in the hall, "Hey, Jake."

I pound his offered fist with my own before entering the cafeteria, him following behind. Surprisingly, he remains quiet until we've gotten our food and have sat down at our table, "So...I was wondering..."

"What?"

He looked around and lowered his voice, "Do you think Rose is going to change now that everyone knows?"

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, "I hope she'll start acting like herself, but you never know."

"I don't know why she's doesn't want people to know," he took a bite of his pizza and continued, "I think it's awesome that she can fix cars. What's the big deal anyway?"

I had a feeling that the big deal had something to do with her parents, but she never wanted to talk about them. "Honestly, I don't know. She doesn't want to lose her status as queen bitch or something."

He set his soda down after taking a drink, "Well I think that's stupid. People would probably like her more if they knew."

I rolled my eyes, "She'll never believe that man. She's stubborn as hell."

He laughed, "Don't I know it."

It was only a few minutes later that we heard Jessica's voice and I seriously wanted to cringe, "I can't believe you fix cars! That is like, so gross!" I wanted to hit her. Rose didn't need anyone telling her shit like that. It would only make her hide even more.

My fears were confirmed when a few seconds later Rose responded, "Do these hands look like they've ever worked on a car? People who work on cars are greasy and have black shit stuck to their hands! Does it look like I have grease or black shit on my hands?" To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. She was so much better than this, she just needed to believe it for herself. When she caught my eyes I could see a flash of sadness before she looked away and replaced her mask.

* * *

After lunch I followed Jake into History. It was a boring class, and I usually fell asleep in the first twenty minutes. I was focused too much on Rose to actually sleep, so when I saw Jake passing notes to Bella I tossed him my own, asking what was up. After a few minutes he sent the note back.

_Bella was asking about the assembly since she ditched. I'm trying to get her to admit that she's the bookworm Bree was talking about in her letter. She tried to deflect and ask about Rose, but I ignored that line of questioning. She won't tell me which one of the guys she has a crush on. _

I smiled, finding a distraction. Bella hated any attention being drawn to her, so I knew exactly what to do to get her to tell. On the note to Jake I scribbled out _'I got this' _and passed it back before taking out another sheet of paper. On this one I wrote '_So, bookworm, you gonna tell us who you're in love with, or do I need to announce to the school that you're the one Bree was talking about?_' and slid it onto her desk once the teacher wasn't looking. She seemed surprised at first, but then took the note and slowly flipped it open. I could see her blush working its way onto her cheeks as she wrote something on Jake's original note and passed it back just as the bell rang. When he held it up I almost laughed.

_Edward Cullen_

She raced out of the room ignoring our calls for her to stop. I kinda felt bad about embarrassing her. Kinda. She was a cool girl, if not a bit shy, but she opened up once she got to know you. She'll sometimes hang out with Jake and I in his garage when her dad visits Billy. She won't touch the Rabbit, but she'll get us drinks and sometimes brings pizza. She's got this innocence that you can't help but love. "Bet she doesn't come to the garage again for at least two weeks."

I laughed at his assumption, "I say it's at least three weeks before she shows her face again." We laughed once more before heading our separate ways. I caught Jasper on our way out the door. "Hey, Jazz, ready for Spanish?"

He turned to me and nodded. He wasn't much of a talker, but when he did talk it was usually well thought out. He wasn't the type of person who would talk just to hear himself speak, unlike me. On a good day, I'm pretty loud and talkative, but today I just don't have it in me. I made my way to Spanish, knowing that I would see Rose in there and my thoughts were once again consumed by her.

* * *

Our early release from Spanish was just what I needed. I had to talk to Rose, and I knew she wouldn't even acknowledge me if anyone else was around. I watched her get up from her seat and I moved to intercept her. Once she caught my eye I motioned to the other side of the building hoping that she would follow me. Before I could say anything she broke the silence, "What do you want, Emmett?"

Her clipped tone made me angry for a minute so I crossed my arms and studied her. She fidgeted and seemed to thaw from ice queen back into my Rose, so I asked the question that had been on my mind, "Why did you deny it?"

"I have a reputation to uphold, Emmett. I thought you understood that."

I couldn't help it, I scoffed. I didn't give a damn about her reputation. She needed to learn that they didn't care about her, "So what? If they don't like you for you, then screw 'em!"

Her eyes seemed to be pleading with me, "It's not that simple, Emmett! This is who I am!"

It hurt to know that she thought so little of herself. This isn't who she was. "That is not who you are, Rose. I know the real you. You aren't some barbie doll that can't think for herself and who needs her friends and her parent to make all of her decisions for her! You're strong, and beautiful, and can tear down and rebuild an engine faster than most guys I know," I could see that she was considering what I said, but in my heart I knew that she would still try to deny who she really was. "Don't let them make you feel ashamed for who you are, please." I walked off without waiting for her to say anything else. I couldn't help her if she didn't want to be helped. It would suck though if she let other people continue to dictate her life. She was a smart girl, and I wanted to see her happy.

I jumped in the cab of my Jeep, not really wanting to go home, but I didn't have anywhere better to be. I considered just going to First Beach and walking along the cliffs, but I would just end up thinking about everything that happened today and I didn't want that. I needed a distraction. I couldn't go to Jake's because he was taking his dad to the doctor, and it was my day off so I couldn't go to the shop. I looked up in time to see Alice storm off in the direction of home. It had been a while since I hung out with the squirt so I started the jeep and caught up to her about a block away from the school, "Need a ride squirt?"

She looked up and gave me a smile, "Yes, please, thank you." She was too little to get in by herself, so I held out my hand to her. "You need a step ladder to get into this thing."

I laughed at her. I was 6'3, so I had no problems getting into the jeep, unlike her who was just over 5', "No, actually, I don't. Maybe you just need to grow a couple more inches." She slapped my arm and laughed with me for a second.

We drove for a few minutes before she spoke again, "So are you working tonight?"

I shook my head, "Nah, I've got today off and Jake is taking his dad to the doctor, so I thought I could come hang out with you and Riley tonight if that's cool." I actually just made that up, but she didn't need to know that.

"That's fine. Is Billy okay?"

Alice didn't really know Jake and his dad all that well, but she has always been a very caring person, "He's fine. They just wanted to check him out. Jake's been working on his Rabbit. He thinks he might have it finished in a couple of weeks."

"That's awesome! I bet he's excited." I could see the honest excitement in her eyes and it made me laugh. She was the type of girl that wouldn't go near a greasy engine, unlike Rose.

"You have no idea. It's all I've been hearing about for the last two weeks, ever since they told him that they finally got the part he needed."

We pulled up to her house and I saw her mom sitting on the porch steps. She looked tired, but I could see her face light up when she saw us. It made me feel a little bad that I hadn't really hung out with Alice and Riley lately. We used to hang out all the time, especially after what happened to our dads, but when I started working we stopped hanging out as much. "Hi kids! Emmett, it's been too long since you've been by!"

I scooped her up for a hug and instantly noticed her loss of weight. I could feel her bones sticking out when I squeezed her. I made sure that I put her down gently because she seemed so much more fragile than she used to be, "I've been working alot, but I'm gonna hang out tonight."

She pat my arm and gave me a loving smile, "I'm glad. Riley's missed you. He wanted to know when you would take him to the shop so that he can help you fix up the cars."

Once again I felt guilty for not being around as much, but I knew they wouldn't want me to feel bad, so I shrugged before answering, "I'd have to talk to my boss, but I wouldn't mind him hangin' around."

I felt a nudge in my arm and turned to see Alice pretending to be mad, "How come I never get invited to the shop?"

I laughed and ruffled her hair because I knew how much she hated it, "Because you hate getting dirty."

She laughed and it felt good to hear, "I could come and just hang out and talk to you."

I knew she never blamed me for not being around anymore, but I could see how much it would mean to her to come and hang out. I really did miss her and Riley, "If my boss says it's okay, I'll bring you and Riley down one day to hang out. Okay?"

She nodded her head with a slight smile, "Sounds good."

After that her mom left us to get ready for her shift at the hospital. When she hugged my side I once again noticed how frail she was. I was curious about whether she was taking care of herself, but I didn't want to bring it up right now. Instead, I followed the squirt in and sat on the couch. There was something that I wanted to know, and I figured now was as good a time as any to ask, "So...are we gonna talk about this morning?"

She seemed slightly confused, "What about it?"

I was never one for beating around the bush so I said what was on my mind, "You're sketches. I thought you stopped years ago."

She sighed and shifted her position on the couch, "I never stopped. My drawings were my thing. They helped me get through all the tough stuff, you know? Then I started sketching clothing designs, and I knew that people would make fun of me for it, so I hid it."

It seems as though everyone I know is trying to hide who they are. I knew that Alice had a hard time at school, and I tried to stop it whenever I could, but I can't always be around and she needs to learn to stick up for herself, "Squirt...you shouldn't hide it. That girl was right, you should be proud of what you can do. Who cares about anyone else? They don't matter."

She smiled softly, "Thanks, Emmett. I think I needed that. Maybe you're right. Maybe it's time to stop hiding."

I was proud that she didn't want to hide. Now if I could only convince Rose to do the same. Knowing that Alice was willing to try and face her insecurities was a relief. After all the heavy crap that went on today I was tired of all the seriousness so I flung my arm around her shoulder to pull her in for a hug and try to ease the tension, "That's my girl! Now, what movie should we watch?" Once Riley got home, we spent the afternoon watching movies and laughing at nothing. I honestly couldn't think of a better way to spend my night.

****The next POV will be Jasper and it will be like a transitional chapter out of the assembly day. Also, later on there will be another POV or two added. If you remember Bree's letter I'm sure you will figure out why they are being added.****


	7. Chapter 7

****Hey guys I want your opinion on something. One of my reviewers suggested changing the summary for this story because the current summary doesn't really capture attention. Their suggestion was "love is blind to high school drama". While I like that line and there are romance elements in this story, it is more about people trying to find out who they are and how to be themselves# I thought a line from the song might be good since it is all based on Bree's letter, "Funny, when your dead how people start listening"# If you guys have any suggestions or comments please let me know, thanks# Okay enough talk, on with the story!****

JPOV

Most kids would be pissed if their parents moved them to a new town at the start of their senior year, but not me. When my parents told me we would be moving I thought it might be nice to experience something different. I still kept in touch with my friends back home so that wasn't a big deal. Unfortunately, Forks High isn't exactly the most welcoming place. I don't think it's on purpose, but the kids here avoided me for the most part. I would catch them watching me, but nobody really talked to me. Emmett was the first to say hello, but when Tanya started hanging around me at the end of the day even he backed off.

Ugh, Tanya. She just doesn't know when to quit. I swear that girl looks at me like some prized stallion to be claimed. I do my best to avoid her, which means skipping the lunch room. I usually sit in my History class and do school work. The problem with that is I am avoiding everyone else too. It's hard to get to know other people if you aren't around them, and I can't really talk to anyone in class. I get the feeling that people stay away from me because of Tanya. I've noticed that once you've been sucked into a group here, you're pretty much stuck.

I ran out to my car at the start of lunch to eat because I left my food out there. I had to go around the back of the school since Tanya and the other popular girls were blocking the other exit. It was a little lonely, but I would rather be alone than be told who I can hang out with. When I finished, I headed over to my History class to wait. I finished my other homework for the day so I was planning on reading the next few chapters in my History book. We were learning about the civil war, which was always fascinating to me.

When I entered the room I caught sight of a brunette girl. I was surprised to see anyone in here and considered leaving, but decided against it. It took a second, but I finally spoke, "I wasn't expectin' anyone else to be in here. I usually sit in here at lunch."

She looked shocked for a second, but smiled somewhat hesitantly, "Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be in here, but the lunch room got a little loud for my tastes."

I smiled. The lunch room was always really loud. I think it has something to do with the fact that kids can't talk during class so they make up for it then, "The lunch room is always a little loud for my tastes. I reckon it would be a little louder today, what with that girl dyin' and all." I had been a little shocked to hear that one of the kids in our class died. I didn't know her, but from what I heard at the assembly she was a smart girl. What she said in her letter resonated with me.

The girl's soft voice broke through my train of thought, "So, what exactly happened at the assembly today? I kinda missed it."

"Oh, well..." I wasn't exactly sure how to answer her so I went with the basics, "one of our fellow students died last night I guess. She'd been sick, and she wrote a note that the principal read to everyone. It was kinda interestin'."

Her head tilted to the side slightly in curiosity, "What did the note say?"

I knew that rumors were already being spread about the people who were mentioned and I didn't want to add to them any. I didn't know this girl, and she seemed nice enough, but I didn't want to be a gossip. "Well, it talked about her noticin' things about the other students, and how we shouldn't be afraid to be ourselves, or love who we want. I don't really remember the specifics, but the points she made were good."

I can see why she would write the letter to our fellow students. People here seemed to try too hard to fit in. I guess that's high school though. Where I came from its a little different. We all had ranchin' in common. There were always those kids that didn't get along, but for the most part everyone was fairly cordial. Once again a soft voice interrupted my inner monologue, "Thanks for telling me. I'm Bella by the way."

I gave her a genuine smile and extended my hand out toward hers, "Jasper. It's nice to meet you, Bella." She was the first real conversation I've had with someone here and it felt nice. When Tanya would corner me, she would usually talk at me. I tuned her out most of the time because I don't know the first thing about fashion or other nonsense. I grew up working hard, helping my dad on my grandpa's ranch and at the local vets office. I saved the money I earned for college because I didn't want my family to pay for everything which is something Tanya knew nothing about. She was rich, and her family bought her everything she wanted. She knew nothing about real life, and I wanted nothing more than to run in the opposite direction every time she opened her mouth.

Class went by fairly quickly and when the bell rang I watched as Bella flew out the door with her face flushed. I was a little curious as to why she was blushing, but didn't feel comfortable asking anyone about it. We may have talked a little today, but we weren't friends. I wouldn't mind being her friend because she did seem nice, but I would just have to see.

As I tried to get out the door, Emmett appeared behind me, "Hey, Jazz, ready for Spanish?" I don't know where the nickname came from, but I honestly liked it. It made me feel like I belonged. Rather than respond though, I simply nodded my head. I liked Emmett, I really did, but we never really got past the pleasantries. It was a quiet walk to Spanish, and I could tell Emmett had something on his mind, but I didn't feel comfortable asking him, so I stayed quiet.

* * *

I was happy that class was being let out early because it meant that I could leave before Tanya could stop me, but luck was not on my side. I just finished closing my locker and turned to leave when I slammed into something hard, causing all of my books to fall. I looked up to see Emmett's friend, I think his name was Jack, looking back at me. I was about to apologize when he did it first, "Sorry man, I didn't see you."

We both bent down to pick up my fallen books, "It's okay. I didn't see you either."

"I'm Jake by the way." So that was his name, "I was going to introduce myself before, but never had a chance. Emmett says you're pretty cool."

I was surprised to say the least. Emmett and I rarely talked, and when we did it wasn't much of a conversation, "Oh...well...it's nice to meet you, Jake."

"You know anything about cars? I work at a garage with Emmett and in our spare time we've been rebuilding my Rabbit. You could come hang out with us."

I was shocked. This is what I wanted, a friend, but didn't think it would happen like this. He was so...outgoing? I guess that would work. I knew a little about cars, but I would never be considered a mechanic. It only took one look at his face for me to agree, "That would be great. I gotta warn you, I don't know much about cars. I know some, but I doubt I would be of much help."

He laughed and clapped his hand on my back, "We'll teach you everything you need to know. I gotta go and pick up my dad right now, but give me your number and we'll hang out tomorrow maybe." He handed me his phone and I typed my number in. I was still in shock over our exchange, but happy. For weeks all I've wanted was to make a real friend, and now it looked like that might be happening. I handed him back his phone and mine started ringing. I grabbed it out of my bag and it stopped, "I just called so you would have my number. That way you know whose calling you."

I nodded, "Thanks man."

"No problem. I gotta go, but I'll talk to ya later." He ran toward the exit and threw a wave over his shoulder. I stood there for another minute before I remembered my plan to escape before Tanya could catch me.

I made it as far as the parking lot before she was there pulling at my arm, "Hey, cowboy. Care to give a girl a ride?"

Nobody could have missed the double meaning in her words, and all I wanted to do was escape. I was raised to be a gentleman, but Tanya was no lady, "I really need to get home, Tanya. My family is expectin' me."

She tried to push closer to me, but I retreated. She continued to talk about some party she wanted me to go to, "Come on, it'll be fun. Mike's brother got a ton of alcohol and his parents are away in Seattle."

I went to a few parties back home, but I was always the DD. Drinking never had much of an appeal to me, and any party that involved Tanya and alcohol was not my idea of fun. I glanced around, trying to find any way to get out of here when my eyes landed on a pair of azure eyes that quite literally took my breath away. They belonged to a rather attractive, petite girl with jet black hair. I had seen her once before, but at the time she was wearing a marching band uniform and was gone before I got a really good look at her.

Her eyes widened just before she ducked her head and rushed off. I wanted to follow her, but needed to get rid of Tanya first. "Look, Tanya, I don't want to go to the party. I've got other things I need to take care of. Goodbye." I knew I was being rude, but couldn't bring myself to care. She needed to learn how to back off. I went in the direction the blue eyed girl went, but she was gone. I was a little disappointed, but shrugged it off and went to my truck.

* * *

I woke up to the sun warming my face and brightness flooding my eyes. It was a welcome change from the cold, dreary, rain-soaked days that Forks is famous for. My eyes landed on the clock and I was shocked to see that it was already nine o'clock. From the time I was seven, every morning I would wake up at five thirty so that I could help feed the animals, or check for eggs for my mom. I enjoyed the work, and loved helping my father with the horses. Even now, I find myself waking up by six, even though I no longer have chores to do.

After showing, I make my way downstairs to find my mom and dad lounging on the couch. My father is an agricultural engineer. We moved here because he was contracted to help with a research project that involved using local materials, such as algae and moss, to generate power. My mom runs a children's cancer research charity that she started in honor of her sister. She was fifteen when her younger sister died from leukemia. Grandma said that they were so close growing up that when her sister had to go in for radiation and started losing her hair, my mom offered to shave her own head in support.

"Mornin' son. You sure slept late."

I sat down on the recliner next to my dad and stretched out, "Yeah, I don't know how I slept so late."

"Honey what did you say that young girl's name was again? I wanted to send a card to her family and maybe go see them." I noticed then that she had her laptop open and was typing away furiously. Last night when I told my parents about what happened, my mom's eyes welled up with tears. She was very active in her charity and would visit many of the families that she helped. When one of the kids would succomb to their illness she would shed a few tears for them, and when they would go into remission she would celebrate with them.

"Bree Tanner. I don't know anything else about her though." My mom simply nodded and continued typing away.

"Son, you gonna give Jake a call today? I think it would be great if you could get out of the house with some kids your own age rather than hangin' round us all the time."

I sighed. I know it probably sounds pathetic to hang out with your parents all the time when you're in high school, but I honestly like hangin' out with them. I know my dad worried that I wasn't making any friends yet. When I told them about Jake he was practically beaming, "He said he'd call me. I don't wanna push myself on him if he doesn't wanna hang out."

He nodded and pushed himself up off the couch, "Well, if he doesn't call, you can always join your old man. I'm goin' out to collect some samples later today." I nodded and grabbed the remote for the TV. We weren't much for watchin' television, but there were a few shows that I loved to catch.

I was watching a Mentalist marathon on TNT when my phone rang. I jumped up expectin' one of my friends from Texas to be callin', but when I looked at the screen it read Jake's name. "Hello?"

_"Hey, Jazz, it's Jake. Emmett and I are goin' down to First Beach with a couple friends of ours. Thought you might wanna come."_

"Oh..."

He cut me off before I could answer,_ "I know I said that we were gonna be working on my car, but the sun is out and we thought this would be better."_

I ran my fingers through my hair, scratching my scalp slightly, "Uh...yeah, that sounds great."

_"Sweet! If you wanna come here first then we can ride over there together."_

I was glad for the suggestion because I had no idea where First Beach was, "That works. How do I get to your house?" He gave me directions on how to get to La Push and where his house was. By the time I hung up I was excited and a little nervous.

****Next chapter is First Beach and will be told through several POV'S rather than one. Any guesses as to who will show up?****


	8. Chapter 8

****We are off to La Push! Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. And as always...Enjoy****

JAKE POV

I was glad that I finally talked to that Jasper kid yesterday. He was quiet, but seemed pretty cool. Emmett was gonna introduce us that first day, but after we saw Tanya and Lauren walking through the halls with him he decided against it. Once those harpies got their talons into you there was no going back. We figured he would be sitting with Rose and Tanya, or maybe Mike by the end of the first week, but he never did. When I ran into him yesterday I figured, what the hell? Bree's letter made me realize that it was stupid not to talk to someone just because they were in a different group.

I mean, look at Bella. She's one of my best friends, but she prefers to be alone. According to the kids at school I shouldn't bother talking to her, but I could never give up my friendship with her. She was like a little sister to me, and when my parents were in that accident, her and Charlie helped me take care of my dad. Even now, they will still come over and Bella will cook for us all while our dads watch a game. Sometimes Charlie will take my dad to his doctors appointments if I have to work, and they still find ways to go fishing together.

Today Emmett was going to come over and help me with the Rabbit, but it was too nice out. We rarely got a sunny day, especially in late September, so I wanted to take advantage of it. Picking up my phone, I sent off a text to Emmett. _Too nice to stay inside. First Beach today?_

It took about ten minutes before I got an answer back. _Sounds good. Mind if Alice tags along?_

I knew Alice, sorta, but I hadn't really talked to her much. Today I was going to change that. Emmett has told me over the years how great she was, but I just took his word for it. After the assembly I made a promise to myself to make an effort. I started with Jasper, and now I was going to give Alice a shot. _Don't mind. I'm inviting Jazz, too. _Emmett was telling me about Jasper that first day and came up with the nickname Jazz so we didn't have to keep saying Jasper. I like the nickname, and he didn't seem to have a problem with it yesterday when I let it slip.

_Nice. When did you talk to Jazz?_

_I ran into him yesterday. Asked him about working on the Rabbit and hangin out. _

_Cool. We meeting there or at your house? _

_Doesn't matter._

_Lets meet at your place. 12 good?_

_Sounds good. Later._

I looked at the clock and saw that it was eleven so I scrolled through my contacts to find Jazz. It only rang twice before he answered, _"Hello?"_

"Hey, Jazz, it's Jake. Emmett and I are goin' down to First Beach with a couple of friends of ours. Thought you might wanna come."

_"Oh..."_

He seemed unsure so I rushed out an explanation, "I know I said that we were gonna be working on my car, but the sun is out and we thought this would be better."

He took a second before answering, _"Uh...yeah, that sounds great."_

"Sweet! If you wanna come here first then we can ride over there together."

_"That works. How do I get to your house?" _

I gave him directions to my place and hung up. Most of my time was spent with either my dad, Emmett, Bella, or Leah, so having Jazz and Alice around might be a nice change. It wasn't that I didn't have any other friends, but I never actually hung out with any of them outside of school. Today was going to be a good day. I could feel it.

* * *

APOV

I was happy when Emmett asked me to go hang out with him and Jake. He asked Riley too, but he had plans with one of his friends today. I was kinda surprised that he asked, but he did promise me that he would try to be around more last night. I think he feels bad that we don't hang out as much as we used too, but I don't blame him. He's popular in his own way, everyone likes him for the most part, and I'm a band geek who is a closet fashion designer. Most people don't understand our friendship, but that doesn't matter. They don't know what we've been through together.

First Beach was on the La Push reservation and was a popular spot for teenagers to hang out. Some of the braver ones would go cliff diving, but you would never catch me doing that. I remember watching Emmett dive off one of the cliffs with Jake and Leah Clearwater last year. I have no idea how she did it. I would have been scared out of my mind. Leah was always a tomboy, not as much lately since she started wearing makeup and tighter fitting clothing, but she was tough as nails and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

I envied girls like her and Rosalie Hale. They exuded confidence and their mere presence demanded attention. I could never command a room the way they could. I have always been small and easily overlooked. I don't think you could overlook them if you tried. I guess my shy demeanor didn't help my case very much.

I heard a heavy-handed knock on the front door and rushed to throw my stuff into my backpack. I knew I wouldn't be swimming, but the weather was nice enough that I could get away with wearing shorts. I didn't know what we were going to be doing exactly, but I wanted to be prepared. In my bag was a sweater in case it got cold or started raining, a book, my sketch pad, and some sun block. The last thing I needed was to get a sunburn. The knock sounded again and I wondered for a second why my mom hadn't answered, but I remembered that she was napping before her shift at the diner and rushed to let Emmett in.

* * *

EMPOV

After picking up Alice, we made our way to Jake's house. It was a thirty minute drive, but time seemed to fly by with Alice in the car. Normally she was quiet, especially around new people, but when it was just the two of us she would open up. I could feel her excitement as we neared La Push and it made me smile. I was glad that I invited her, "You planning on jumping today, Squirt?"

She laughed and shook her head, "No way! You guys are nuts! I don't think I could even climb up there without freaking out."

I laughed and pulled onto Jake's road, "Well, you never know until you try right?"

She quieted down and became thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

I wanted to ask her what she was thinking, but we had arrived at Jake's. The garage was open and I could hear Three Days Grace coming from inside, so I knew he was out there. "You ready, Squirt?"

Alice nodded and followed me toward the building, "Is this where you guys work on his car?"

I nodded as I stepped inside. Jake was hunched over a box in the middle of the floor with his back toward us. It was obvious that he hadn't heard us yet so I motioned for Alice to stop and crept up behind him. He was pulling out something from the box and was about to turn, so I took a deep breath and let out the loudest, deepest roar I could manage, "RRRAAAWWWRRRRR!"

He jumped up, let out a high-pitched 'AH!', caught his foot on the crate he had been sitting on, and landed flat on his back. I could hear Alice laugh so loud that she snorted. I could also hear more laughter coming from the smaller door near at the other side of the garage. I looked up to see Jasper and Billy bent over in laughter, their faces turning red from the effort. "What the hell, dude!?" When I looked down at Jake's face I couldn't help but laugh too. He looked so surprised, but we did this kind of crap to each other all the time.

"Why is everyone laughing?"

* * *

BPOV

Dad talked me into going to Billy and Jake's today so that they could watch the game. Why I had to go was beyond me. I knew that Emmett would most likely be there which meant that I would have to deal with him and Jake teasing me about yesterday. When we pulled up there was an unfamiliar truck in the driveway sitting next to Emmett's massive jeep. I could hear music coming from the garage and grudgingly made my way over there. The door was open and I could hear laughter coming from within. It was so loud that it even overpowered the music that was playing. I could see Alice standing off to the side closest to me, Emmett was standing over Jake who was laying on his back, and Billy was on the other side of the garage with Jasper. I was a little surprised to see Alice and Jasper here, but shrugged it off. I was really curious so I spoke up, "Why is everyone laughing?"

Five sets of eyes flew towards me and I silently cursed myself for catching their attention. Billy wheeled himself over to me, his smiling face causing a smile to grow on my own, "Bella! Nice to see you, sweetheart. Is your dad here?"

I nodded, "Yep. He's got a case of beer and his designated driver so he's all set to watch the game."

Billy laughed and squeezed my hand on his way past, "Better get in the house then before he drinks it all himself."

Once he was gone I felt a little awkward. Jake was finally on his feet and headed over toward me, "Hey, Bells. Didn't expect to see your smiling face around here for at least a couple of weeks."

I groaned and Emmett added, "Yeah, we thought you'd go into hiding."

I wanted to hit them both, but knowing me I would break my hand or something on their faces, "Charlie guilt tripped me into coming."

Jake picked me up into a crushing hug and swung me around, "We're just messin' with ya, Bells. I'm glad you're here, we were about to head down to First Beach. Wanna come?"

I started to shake my head no when Alice chimed in, "Please, Bella."

Emmett swung his huge arm across my shoulders, "Yeah, come on, Bellaboo. You know you wanna."

I sighed, "I'll need to tell my dad first." Emmett and Jake cheered while Alice and I shook our heads at them. It was then that I remembered Jasper was there, "Hey, Jasper."

"Bella," he responded with a dip of his head.

Jake turned and clapped his hands, "Okay, introductions. Everyone this is Jasper," he said as he began to point us all out, "Bella, Emmett, Alice, and me of course," poking himself in the chest. "Now, everyone knows each other. Let's grab the cooler and get going."

* * *

JPOV

It was awkward at first, but once we started packing up Emmett's jeep everyone started talking a little more. When I first saw Bella I was a little surprised, but the way that Jake's dad talked to her you would think she was family. Seeing Alice though floored me. I didn't notice her at first because she was tucked into the back corner, but when Jake went around introducing us all I saw my blue-eyed beauty. Most girls think that they need to wear a lot of makeup to be beautiful, but I disagree. Seeing Alice, and even Bella, standing there without a hint of makeup proved my point. They were both naturally beautiful in different ways.

I continued to steal glances toward Alice as we loaded up Jake's cooler and a few other things. When it was time to go Jake offered to let me ride up front, but I opted to sit in back with the girls. Alice sat in the middle with Bella on her other side. "So, Jasper, where in Texas did you use to live?"

My eyes locked with Alice's and I felt like I was being drawn in, "Sweetwater. It's a smaller town off the highway."

"Is it near Dallas?" Bella asked and I forced myself to look away from Alice.

"It's a ways away from Dallas. We usually stayed away from the city unless we needed to go in. I did go to a few football games with my friends though."

"Do you miss it?" Alice asked.

"I miss my grandparents and my friends. The town was great, and I guess I miss it somewhat, but it's the people who I really miss," I answered as honestly as I could.

Emmett turned slightly in his seat, "Dude, you sound like a chick." I laughed as I watched Bella and Alice smack him at the same time. "OW! What the hell?"

"Be nice Emmett McCarty!" Alice chastised him.

"I was just messing with the guy, sheesh. You got that right, Jazz?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I got it. I'm not easily offended."

Jake turned around in the passenger seat, "Good, because we are constantly giving each other a hard time. Can't be too sensitive hanging out with us."

We pulled into a parking lot with several other cars. I could see a small sign at the top of a cement staircase that read 'First Beach'. It wasn't like the beaches I was use to. There were large pieces of driftwood scattered around the beach, huge cliffs loomed over the water with several peaks that jetted out, and instead of soft sand there were pebbles making up the shore. It appeared harsh at first glance, but there was beauty in it as well.

I helped the guys unload the jeep and we made our way down the staircase and over toward the water. They told me that the water would probably be too cold to go into without a wet suit, but it didn't stop me from testing it out. A wave crashed to the shore as I approached and I found myself covered from the waist down in freezing cold water. A yelp escaped my lips as I leapt away from the icy water and I could hear my four companions laughing at me.

We set up folding chairs that the girls sat in, but Emmett and Jake wanted to play some football so I followed them a little ways away so that we wouldn't accidentally hit Bella or Alice. We threw the ball around for about half an hour before Emmett's stomach started to growl, "Let's go eat before I wither away."

I laughed and shook my head, "I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"McCarty! Black!" All three of us turned to see a rather tall, carmel skinned girl approach. Her black hair flowed down her back, ending just above her jeans, and her almond-shaped brown eyes were traveling between my two new friends.

* * *

LPOV

I had come to First Beach to think. Ever since the assembly yesterday I've been hiding out. I know that the letter that Principal Skinner read didn't mention my name specifically, but I still felt like everyone would know. It's not that I'm ashamed of who I am, but my girlfriend is. She doesn't want anyone to know about us which hurts, but I can understand it. In a small town like Forks, being different isn't really a good thing. It doesn't help that her parents are wealthy and would disown her if she came out.

I know that my family would support me, but she doesn't have that. Her mother has spent years trying to turn her into a trophy wife, and she absolutely hates it. At school she acts the part her mother expects of her, but when she's with me she is a completely different person. Before we started dating, I hated her. It wasn't until we were locked in a basement at one of Mike Newton's parties a few months ago that things changed. I'm not really sure what happened, but one minute we were fighting, and the next we were kissing. When we pulled away from each other she broke down. We ended up talking until early the next morning. She told me about her parents, and how she hated the person she portrayed. How she realized that she liked girls two years ago. She explained that guys had never held her interest, but she slept with them in order to be 'normal'. After that night we would meet up whenever we could. We had to act normally at school and around our friends, but when we were together we were able to be ourselves.

After listening to that letter though, I was reconsidering. I didn't want to hide who I was. I considered coming out myself and leaving her out of it, but people would know that it wasn't just me and I would be hounded constantly by people trying to figure out who it was I was dating. I hated this. I just wanted to be able to walk into school with my girlfriend and not have to deal with people's comments. I need a distraction.

It was then that I saw Emmett and Jacob. They were cool, and would keep me entertained for a while, "McCarty! Black!" When they turned it was with smiles on their faces.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Leah Clearwater. What brings you to First Beach on this fine day?" Jake asked.

I rolled my eyes, "I needed to get out, and now I need a distraction. Entertain me."

There was laughter coming from them and I noticed that they had another guy with them. I remember seeing him at school, but I couldn't remember his name. Emmett crossed his arms and steadied his gaze on me, "Why do you need a distraction, and what makes you think we're gonna entertain you?"

I mirrored his stance, "I just do, and because I said you would." I quirked an eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge me.

He simply laughed and said, "Alright then. Leah, this is Jasper. Jasper, meet Leah."

The blond held his hand out, "Nice to meet you, Leah."

I looked at his hand and back at his face. Was this guy serious? Rather than shake his offered hand I simply nodded at him, "Jasper. Now, entertain me."

I could see the mischievous glint in Emmett's eyes as he rubbed his hands together, "Well...you need a distraction and Jazz here hasn't been up the cliffs yet, so why don't we do a little diving?"

A smile formed on my face. Emmett always knew how to make me feel better, "Perfect! How high are we going?"

* * *

APOV

The boys came running over to Bella and I with Leah in tow. They all looked excited about something and I was a little scared to find out what was going on in their minds. Leah plopped down on one of the available chairs and offered us a nod. She comes off rude to some, but to anyone that knows her it's just how she is. The twinkle in Emmett's eyes alerted me to the fact that they were up to no good, "What did you do?"

He shook his head with a monsterous grin on his face, "We haven't done anything."

I sighed, "What are you planning on doing?"

The grin seemed to be contageous as it spread from him to Jake, Jasper, and finally Leah, "We're gonna take Jazz here cliff diving with us. Wanna join?"

Bella sat up with wide eyes, "Are you nuts? The water is freezing, there are rocks that you could hit, and have you met me? I am clumsy and have the worst luck on the planet. I would end up hitting every possible rock on the way down, get knocked unconcious, and probably drowned. Or I would simply break every bone in my body and have to live in a full body cast for the rest of my life."

The guys all laughed at her rant, but my gaze was focused on the cliffs. _You never know until you try. _Emmett's words were floating through my head, and I realized that I wanted to jump. I wanted to do something completely out of character. I leapt from my seat and everyone turned to look at me, "I'm in."

Emmett's mouth opened and he seemed to be too stunned to speak. Leah stood and offered me a pat on the back, "Let's do it then."

Bella grabbed my hand, halting me and turning me towards her, "Are you really going to do this Alice?"

I looked into her eyes and saw that she wasn't trying to talk me out of it. She was simply trying to make sure that I was doing it because I wanted to. I really appreciated that, "I am. I've spent my entire life being afraid, and I don't want to live like that anymore. If yesterday taught me anything, it's that life is too short. You never know when you're going to die, and I don't want to die with regrets."

Her eyes turned thoughtful for a moment before a smile broke out on her face, "You're right. I'm going with you. I've always wanted to try cliff diving, but never did because of my clumsiness." She took a step before turning back to me, "Will you jump with me? I may want to do it, but I don't wanna do it alone." I nodded because honestly, I would feel better having someone jump with me. We started walking toward the cliffs and soon realized that Emmett and Jake were still standing by the chairs looking at us with shocked expressions. Bella rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, "You boys coming or not?"

Jake and Emmett ended up helping Bella and I up the cliff side. It was a lot harder than it looked. When we finally reached the top my resolve started to crumble. I considered climbing back down when Leah let out a yell and flung herself over the cliff. I ran to the edge and watched as her body gracefully cut through the water. It only took a minute for her head to break the surface once again. The guys started cheering for her and I relaxed. "My turn!" I turned my head and saw Jake running towards us. He followed the path Leah had taken and this time I was able to see as he fell through the air, heading for the ocean below. It was rather fun to watch.

Bella's hand gripped mine and I turned to meet her eyes, "Ready?"

I closed my eyes for a second before nodding. Together, we took a few steps backwards, giving ourselves plenty of running room. Emmett and Jasper looked worried and I could tell they were going to try to tell us that we didn't have to do this, but I didn't want to hear that. Instead, I squeezed Bella's hand and she nodded. Just as Emmett's mouth opened to say something Bella and I took off towards the cliff's edge. When we cleared the edge and began our free fall I was exhilarated. I had never felt so free before, and I loved it. Seconds before hitting the water I caught the smile on Bella's face and knew that she felt it too.

****That was the longest chapter I have ever written, but I think I'm happy with it. Also, I didn't plan on updating twice in one day, but I did. Now you all know who Bree was talking about in her letter when she said "I know that being a gay or lesbian teen is hard enough, but why can't they be happy just like everyone else? You know who you are, but I hope that you can one day find the courage to be proud of yourself and your partner".****


	9. Chapter 9

****I am completely flaking on my other stories, but this one has just captured my attention. I will try to update Wrong Turn and The Crazy Games sometime this week if any of you are reading those, but I want to run with this story while I am inspired to do so. I want to send a great big THANK YOU to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers. You guys are amazing. Enjoy****

BPOV

I have had more fun this weekend than I've had in the last few months combined. Cliff diving was so exhilarating! I can't believe I actually did it! The weekend continued to get better too. For once, I was acting like a teenager and I liked it. When we left First Beach Saturday afternoon, we decided to go to the movies. We asked Leah to come with us, but she had to pick up her twin brother Seth from band practice. Jake and Emmett teased me for a few minutes after she mentioned Edward's band which caused me to blush. Alice and Jasper looked at me questioningly, but didn't say anything, which I was grateful for.

Sunday, Alice came over to my house and showed me some of her clothing designs. We had talked about her sketches at the beach and she reluctantly agreed to let me see them. I was once again blown away by her talent. She even had some designs that I would wear. I still remember our conversation.

_"These are amazing, Alice! If people saw what you could do, maybe they would lay off." _

_She shook her head, "They wouldn't lay off. They would find reasons to hate my designs just because I'm the one that drew them."_

_"Well...why not put a few of them together and wear them to school?" She gave me an incredulous look, "What? If they could see first hand how good you are..."_

_"Bella, I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't have the money for fabric. I also don't know how to sew," the last sentence came out mumbled and I barely heard it._

_"I can help you." Her forehead scrunched up and I continued, "I don't know the first thing about fashion, but I know how to sew. My mom was clueless when it came to household chores so I would end up mending clothes, or fixing curtains."_

_She smiled before sighing, "That doesn't help with fabric." I tried to think of someway to buy some fabric, but the little bit of money I had went towards helping Charlie with bills and my college fund. Our quiet concentration was broken by her squeal, "I've got it! We can take old clothes apart and use the fabric from those to make new clothes!"_

_I thought about it for a second. I wasn't sure how well it would work, but it was worth a try, right? "Okay, I have a few things we can tear apart. When do you wanna start?" The gleam in her eye started to worry me. _

We ended up starting that afternoon. She went home to grab the clothes that she wanted to use, while I stayed home and went through my closet. Charlie found out what we were doing and gave me the few things of mom's that he still had. By the end of the night, we finished two full outfits and had several other pieces that I was going to sew after school today. It was fun having Alice there with me. I've never had any girl friends before, and she was really easy to get along with.

This morning was going to be the big début of her outfits. The original plan was for her to wear the outfits and show everyone her talent, but she started to freak out and begged me to wear the second outfit instead so that she wouldn't be alone. I wanted to tell her no, but I couldn't. She was so scared to be putting herself out there, and if I could help her out, I would.

* * *

EPOV

The party at Mike's was a huge success. We covered a variety of bands, keeping the party going until the wee hours of the morning. My throat was still a little sore, but it was worth it. We had Eric Yorkie taping us the whole night so that we could send it in to a few indie labels in Seattle. We didn't have the resources to record a demo now, so we were gonna give this a shot.

When I got to school this morning I was greeted by different people praising our performance. It felt good knowing people liked us. I knew what the chances were of getting a record deal, but music was a huge part of who I was. I don't think I could ever give up on it. Paul and Tyler didn't take it as seriously as Seth and I did. They were always running late, or blowing off practice all together. It pissed me off when they did it, but there wasn't a whole hell of a lot I could do about it.

My first couple of classes passed by relatively quickly and I found myself in the cafeteria, once again searching for chocolate eyes and mahogany hair. She had yet to arrive, so I filled up my tray with food and sat at my usual table. Mike and Tyler sat across from me talking about some hot girls they saw and I automatically tuned them out and went back to scanning the cafeteria. I was surprised to see Jasper sitting with Emmett and Jacob. He hadn't really joined any groups since his move here, though Tanya was trying to drag him over to the dark side. I respected him for not giving in.

The doors opened again and that's when I saw her. I forgot to breathe for a second, and when I finally remembered to, it was labored. The shirt she had on was a deep, midnight blue that accentuated her petite frame and complimented her pale complextion. The neckline was cut low enough to offer a slight view of her cleavage, with studs lining the edge. She wore a dark, jean skirt that opened just above her knees, showing off her beautiful legs, and got longer near the back.

I heard Mike whisper, "See, told you man!" to Tyler and growled. It was Bella they were talking about earlier. I felt the sudden urge to throw her over my shoulder and hide her from view.

"Squirt! Bells! Over here," Emmett's booming voice called and that was when I noticed she was with that Alice girl which surprised me. She never really talked to anyone except Jake and sometimes Emmett. My surprise turned into shock when she went over to them and started hugging them, even Jasper! I was pissed, and I knew it was because I was jealous.

I watched them for several minutes, talking and laughing. Her smile was so carefree that I found myself hypnotized by it. My name rang out across the cafeteria and I tore my gaze away from Bella to find the person who called me. My eyes didn't move far as they caught Jake waving me over. I stood up, not planning on being over there long I left my tray of food on the table. I only got two steps when Rosalie grabbed my arm, "Where do you think you're going?"

I shrugged her off, "I'm going to see what he wants. What's it to you?"

I tried to take a step, but she moved in front of me, "If you go over there it will damage your rep."

I wanted to laugh at her, but settled for rolling my eyes and running my fingers through my hair, "You know what, Rosalie? I just don't give a damn anymore."

I turned enough to grab my tray and maneuvered my way around her. I was able to get a few paces away when she called out to me again, "What about your band?"

That stopped me for a second. I didn't want my decisions to affect the band, but I wasn't going to let that control my life. I turned with a smile on my face and I saw her relax, thinking she had won, "Well, if anyone wants a band to play their parties, then they will have to deal." There was a collective gasp from everyone in the cafeteria and I walked over to Jake surrounded by silence. "You rang?"

He was only quiet for a second before he broke out into laughter. Emmett was the next to break followed by Jasper. Alice and Bella wore similar expressions of shock and when I caught Bella's eye the shock melted and that beautiful blush of hers made an appearance. She quickly turned her head toward Alice and Jake caught my attention again, "Dude! That was awesome! Take a seat."

I would have prefered to sit next to Bella, but she was sandwiched in between Jake and Alice. I set my tray down in the available seat beside Emmett and slid into the seat, "So, what did you need?"

The laughter had died down and I could hear conversations start up around the cafeteria, "Your band has played at First Beach before right?" I simply nodded, "Well, Em and I wanted to throw a party next weekend. Think you guys could play? We can't pay you, but maybe we can make a trade."

I sat back in my chair and once again ran my fingers through my hair, "I would have to talk to the guys first, but I think we can work something out. How big is this party gonna be?" I really wanted to ask if Bella would be there, but I doubted it. She never went to any of the parties around here.

Emmett answered this one, "We're planning on inviting a bunch of the kids from here and La Push. We're thinkin' it'll be pretty big."

Alice spoke up for the first time, "Can we invite some of my friends from the band? They never get invited to parties."

Then my favorite voice chimed in, "Why don't we invite everyone? If they want to come, then let them. If they don't then they can stay home."

"That's actually a really good idea. Most of these kids don't get invited to parties so you'll have a bigger turn out."

She smiled at me and her cheeks once again flushed pink. I felt myself smile involuntarily, but the spell was broke by Jake, "Alright, looks like we've got a party to plan. I can get Sam to buy some alcohol."

Alice bounced up and down in her seat, "Bella and I can make flyers and decorate!"

Bella didn't seem too thrilled with being volunteered, but nodded her head anyway. Emmett clapped his hands together, "Let's throw ourselves a party!"

* * *

RPOV

What...The...Hell!? Did I seriously step into the Twilight Zone? First, I've had to listen to everyone talk about these girls Alice and Bella, who apparently went from being frumpy tomboys to sexy fashionistas. I have to admit their outfits are pretty cute. Then, Lauren shows up in the cafeteria looking like her dog just died, but she won't tell us what's wrong. Now, Edward is sitting over with Jake and Emmett.

Ever since that damn assembly things have been changing. This weekend at Newton's party everyone was talking about the dead girl, and the letter. Now, it seems everyone has lost their minds. I mean, I would much rather be over there with Jake and Emmett talking about cars and asking Alice and Bella where they got their outfits than sitting here listening to Lauren sniffle and Tanya fume over Jasper, but I know how things work. I have a reputation to uphold, and my mother would probably throw me out on the street if she heard I threw that away. Watching Emmett and the others laughing and joking though had me longing to just get up and join them.

* * *

LPOV

I couldn't believe that I actually went through with it! I broke up with her! I know it was the right thing to do, but I hated it. She was the one thing in my life besides my friends and family that made me happy and I threw it away. I just couldn't hide who I was anymore. I didn't want to sneak around and hope that we don't get caught. I actually told my parents and brother last night. They supported me, just like I knew they would. It was the first time that I felt I could really breathe.

When I finally walked into the cafeteria, lunch was half over. I looked around for my brother, but Alice caught my attention, "Leah! Come sit with us!"

I smiled and made my way over to them. I have only spent one day with Bella and Alice, but they were so easy to get along with. I didn't feel pressured to be something I'm not. It was simple and fun. Jasper wasn't much of a talker, but he was definitely a fun guy to hang out with. I could see what drew Emmett and Jake to him.

I froze when I saw Edward Cullen sitting with them. He was one of them! I knew he was always friendly with Emmett and Jake, but they weren't exactly friends. He was always nice to me when I would pick up Seth from band practice, but he still never ventured too far from the popular table. They were all laughing and I shook myself from my thoughts and took the seat between Jasper and Edward.

Edward turned to me, "Hey, Leah."

I nodded once, "Edward." I looked towards Alice and Bella and caught sight of their outfits. It was Alice's outfit that really caught my attention though. Her crimson shirt wrapped around her tiny frame, tying in the back and exposing small slivers of skin on her sides. Her black jeans were tight on her legs with safety pins running up the sides. She had on a red belt that was slightly darker than her top and minimal makeup on her face. She actually looked like she was going to a club. "Cute outfit, Alice. Where did you get it?"

She smiled wide and bounced a little in her seat, "I made it! Well, technically, I designed it and Bella made it. I don't know how to sew, but Bella is going to teach me. I couldn't afford to buy fabric, so we used old clothes that we tore apart and brought my designs to life!"

I was impressed to say the least, "Wow. Do you think you could make me something if I got the stuff?"

Everyone at the table had to cover their ears to prevent Alice's squeal from making them go deaf, "I could totally do that!" She turned to Bella as if remembering she would need her help, "What do you say, Bella? Please..."

Bella laughed at the excitable girl, "Yeah, we can do that."

Alice threw her arms around Bella's neck and squeezed before jumping out of her seat and running at me. I was barely able to stay in my seat when she plowed into me. For someone so tiny, she sure could pack a punch! "This is going to be so much fun!" The way her voice squeaked on the last word made me reconsider my request.

* * *

JPOV

For the first time since coming to this school, I enjoyed lunch. Emmett was the one to catch me walking towards History and drag me into the cafeteria. Old habits die hard I guess. I was glad he did though. It started out with Emmett, Jake and I, but by the end of lunch we had Bella, Alice, Edward, and Leah sitting with us. I thought I would be uncomfortable, but I wasn't. We all seemed to mesh well with each other and spent the entire time laughing and joking with one another.

When we split up for class, Emmett pulled me over to the seat in front of him and next to Bella. I hesitated for a second, but eventually caved. It's not like we have assigned seats or anything. When I felt something on my arm I flinched and rubbed at the spot. It happened two more times before I realized it was Emmett passing me a note. I waited for the teacher to turn towards the board before grabbing it.

_Jake and I gotta work tonight, do you think you could drive Alice home for me? She doesn't have a car and I don't really want her to take the bus._

Admittedly, I was nervous to be alone with Alice. She was very pretty, and sweet, and I had a hard time talking to her. Maybe this would give me the courage to hold a conversation with her. I scribbled out a quick 'sure' before sliding the paper back onto his desk.

* * *

EMPOV

Jake and I were geniuses. I was surprised at first when he called Edward over to our table, but it clicked when I saw the look between him and Bella. That was when Jake caught my eye and I caught on to the plan. There had never been a party, but it was a good excuse to get him over to our table, and if we got a party out of hookin' these two up, I'm all for it. Watching Bella blush most of lunch was another bonus. She was so easy to tease.

The looks Jasper and Alice were sharing didn't escape me either. They were trying to be so slick, but nothin' got past me. That was when I decided to try my matchmaking skills out on them. I let Jake know what I was doing on our way to class while Jazz and Bella talked ahead of us and he agreed to help. When Jasper went to sit in his regular seat I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to sit in front of me. It looked like he was about to argue, but eventually caved. I wanted to put my plan into motion, and we wouldn't be able to talk at all in Spanish.

Scribbling out a quick note, I folded up the paper and gently touched his arm with it. Rather than take the paper, he pulled his arm away and rubbed it. I wanted to laugh at him, but decided to screw with him instead. I waited for him to set his arm back down before scraping the side of his elbow with the paper. He jerked his arm away again and even felt around for whatever was bugging him. Finally, when I scraped him for the third time he looked and caught sight of the note in my hand. Jake slid his own note onto my desk while I waited for Jasper to respond.

_What did you write?_

_I asked him to drive Alice home because we had to work and I really didn't want her to take the bus._

_She takes the bus all the time though._

_I know._

I smiled as I sent him back the paper. He read my words and smiled back. That was when Jasper finally sent my original note back. I knew he would agree, now I just had to make sure Alice didn't get on the bus first.

* * *

APOV

I received so many compliments on my outfit today that my confidence was at an all time high, I was able to avoid the harpies which is always a good thing, and I had a bunch of new friends that I got to share lunch with. I don't think I could stop smiling if I tried. Ever since the assembly on Friday, things have been looking up for me. I feel so bad that it took someone dying for good things to start happening to me, but I'm grateful. If it weren't for Bree's words, I would have never jumped off that cliff, I wouldn't have been brave enough to show someone my designs, let alone wear them, and I probably wouldn't have become friends with Bella, Leah, and Jasper.

During my final period I as told to go see the guidance counselor. I was a little nervous about what he could want, but I was pretty sure I wasn't in trouble. When I got there he was seated behind his large oak desk with a folder open in front of him, "You wanted to see me sir?"

He looked up and waved me in, "Of course, Ms. Brandon. How are you today?"

I gave him a smile, "I'm good. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just been busy with everything that's happened the last couple of days."

I nodded knowing he was talking about Bree's death, "How are her parents? Have you spoken to them?"

It was his turn to nod, "I spoke with them on Friday, and again this morning. It seems they've been contacted by one of our students mothers about setting up a cancer research fund in Breanna's name."

"Really? That's so nice of her. Maybe we could have some kind of fundraiser for it."

He shook his head, "While the school sympathizes, we don't really have the means to do anything like that right now."

"Oh," I muttered. Well if they weren't going to help, maybe she could find another way to help.

"What I wanted to talk to you about today was a local scholarship being offered."

I snapped my head back up to meet his eyes. He knew about my situation, and offered to help me find different ways to pay for college so that I wouldn't have to rely completely on student loans, "What kind of scholarship is it?"

He grabbed another paper off his printer and handed it to me, "It involves spending a week with a research group that is collecting samples of possible biomass materials. You would be expected to help with research and collecting the materials. At the end of your time you will be expected to submit a 2000 word paper on what you learned and the affects of this study on future energy production."

I was good at science, maybe not the best, but I knew my way around a lab. It would be pretty cool to be a part of a real research study, and if it would help pay for school then I was all for it, "How much is the scholarship for?"

"There are two scholarships that they are offering. The two students who are chosen will each be awarded $10,000 scholarships to the school of their choice. They have twenty slots open for the research study, and of those twenty, the two with the best essay will be chosen."

I read over the information he handed me while he talked and I could feel my excitement increase. I was going to do this, and I would win, "Where do I sign up?"

I was stuck in the counselor's office filling out the paperwork I would need when the bell rang. I knew I would end up walking because Emmett had to work today and the bus would be gone by the time I got out there, but I didn't care. I could walk the four miles to my house.

When I finally finished, most of the parking lot was cleared out. I skipped down the steps to start my walk when I noticed Jasper standing next to a newer truck. He was fidgeting and looked a little lost, "Hey, Jasper. Are you okay?"

He looked up at the sound of my voice and smiled. I couldn't help but love his smile. It was so warm and made me want to smile in return, "I'm fine. Emmett asked me to give you a ride home today since he had to work, if that's alright with you."

If I thought my smile couldn't get any bigger than I was wrong, "That would be great!" He opened the door of his truck and offered his hand to me so that he could help me in. Gotta love southern hospitality!


	10. Chapter 10

****Slightly shorter chapter, but not by much. Also, I don't know squat about cars, so yeah. Enjoy****

APOV

Riding home with Jasper was a little awkward at first. We continued to steal glances at each other, and every once in a while I would see him open his mouth to say something before he would close it again. I wasn't much better. I would love to talk to him and get to know him, but my shyness wasn't letting that happen. Finally, he opened his mouth, "So, um...where exactly do you live?"

A giggle escaped me and soon turned into a full bellied laugh. He watched me for a few seconds before laughing himself. The awkwardness seemed to dissipate and we were able to finally make conversation in between me giving him directions, "So what brought you to Forks?"

He smiled and gestured to the forest, "The vegetation."

My eyebrows scrunched together. I was so confused, "Huh?"

He laughed and started to explain, "My dad is doing some research on biomass materials. They take samples of different algae and moss to see how they could be used to generate power."

I excitedly grabbed the paper I was given earlier, "Is this what you're talking about?"

He took the paper and looked it over while we were at a stop sign, "Yeah, it is. He didn't tell me about this though." His blue eyes locked on mine, "How did you find out about it?"

I could feel the heat on my face, "Well...um...I kinda need as many scholarships as I can get if I wanna go to college. My mom doesn't exactly have the money to pay for it." He nodded and continued down my street. Our time was running short, and I didn't want it to end. When he pulled over to the curb in front of my house I sighed, "Thank you, for the ride. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Alice." I started to get out of the car when his hand touched my arm, "You know, you don't have to ride the bus anymore. I could bring you home since you're on my way."

He seemed slightly nervous and all I wanted to do was squeal! I didn't want to scare him so I willed myself to stay calm until I could get into the house and call Bella, "That would be wonderful, Jasper. Thank you." He smiled at me and tipped his head. I watched as he pulled away from the curb, and as soon as he was out of sight, I squealed.

* * *

EPOV

Band practice was supposed to start over forty minutes ago, but of course Tyler and Paul were nowhere to be found. They kept pulling this shit and I was tired of it. I was talking to Seth about the party when they finally showed up, "Nice of you to grace us with your presence. Edward was just telling me about a party down at First Beach. They want us to play."

Paul slid down onto the couch beside Seth and threw his feet up on an old milk crate, "Whose party is it? I know it's not Newton."

"Don't tell me that's what those gearheads wanted." He bent down and grabbed a soda out of the mini fridge and sat next to me, "How much are they willing to pay?"

I shuffled slightly, knowing that Paul and Tyler were about to shoot the idea down, "They don't have any money, but they were willing to trade."

Tyler and Paul looked at each other and guffawed, "Seriously? What the hell would we want from them?"

Paul joined in, "No shit! Unless they got cash, I vote no."

"Besides, we're too good to be playing for free," Tyler added.

I had to fight the urge to beat them both to a bloody pulp, "We aren't _too good _for anything. You do realize that right now we only play for the same people. If we did this party, more people would hear us, and we would probably get more gigs."

Tyler's face grew serious for a second, and he looked at me as if I had lost my mind, "Dude, there isn't going to be anyone at this party worth our time. Drop it, cause I'm not doin' it."

Paul nodded, "Me either. Last thing we need is to lose our in because of a bunch of losers."

Seth and I exchanged an incredulous look and sighed. I really didn't want to tell Jake and Emmett that the guys wouldn't do it, but I couldn't force them. I may have started this band, and while I can play all of the instruments, I can't perform on my own. I know Seth would do it, but without the others we were pretty worthless.

* * *

EMPOV

Last night sucked! I called Sam about scorin' some alcohol and he refused! Something about contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Bullshit! He buys us booze all the time, and now he grows a conscience? I tried a few other people, but nobody was willing to help. Don't they understand how crucial alcohol is to a teenage party? Without alcohol, nobody would even bother showing up!

Jake and I were still contemplating how to get some booze for the party and coming up short. The ride from his place to school consisted of one of us throwing out a name while the other shot it down for whatever reason. We sat in the parking lot waiting for school to start when Jasper pulled in. He had a smile plastered on his face which made me grin, "Hey, Jazz. You seem happy this morning. Anything interesting happen last night?"

His head tilted to the right slightly as he regarded me curiously before shrugging, "I talked to one of my friends from Texas. He finally talked his parents into lettin' him get a dirt bike. He's been wantin' one for a couple years now."

That wasn't exactly what I was getting at, "Ugh, that's cool. Anything else?"

Before he could answer Bella's red monstrosity roared into the parking lot. I could see the squirt's head bobbing in the passenger seat and was happy to know that she had a girl friend now. I love Alice to death, but there are just some things a guy doesn't want or need to know. They emerged from the truck laughing loudly and when Alice's eyes caught sight of Jasper I swear she blushed. "Hey guys!" Bella called out and Alice bounded over giving each one of us a hug, lingering slightly longer on Jasper. His smile from earlier grew immensely once his arms were around her.

Our happy little bubble burst moments later by Edward, "Hey guys, we got a problem."

I groaned, "Don't tell me, the guys don't wanna play."

He ran his hand through his crazy hair, "Seth and I were cool with it, but Tyler and Paul don't want anything to do with your party and we can't really perform without them."

Jake threw his bag down, "Well that officially kills the party. Sam won't buy the alcohol, and we can't find anyone else either."

There were several sighs and groans throughout the group. I really wanted this party too. "We don't need alcohol to have a party," Alice's timid voice supplied.

Jake and I were both staring at her wide-eyed, "No alcohol? Are you kidding?"

"She's right. You don't need alcohol to have fun. Most of those parties that Newton throws rely on alcohol. They aren't actually any fun," Edward stated.

"No alcohol?" I once again stated. I just couldn't think about having a party without alcohol.

"I have an idea," Alice started, "Have you guys heard about that cancer research fund that was started in Bree's name?"

Most of us were clueless except Jasper, "Yeah, my mom said she was gonna get in touch with her parents about starting one. She runs a charity for children's cancer research."

We all turned to stare at him, "Really?"

He shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah. My aunt had cancer and died when she was a teenager, so my mom started the charity in honor of her. She's been doin' it for about twenty years now."

"Wow..." Alice looked awestruck so I nudged her gently. She shook her head and continued, "Anyway, I was thinking maybe instead of the original party idea, we could do a fundraiser for her. We could still do the party on the beach, maybe see if the local businesses will donate food or something to barbeque, and we could charge like five dollars a person." We were all silently staring at her, "What? We could still have the party, we could raise money for charity, and maybe Tyler and Paul would be willing to play if it's for charity."

Edward didn't look convinced, "It's a nice idea, but Tyler and Paul aren't exactly the charitable type." The bell rang and we all agreed to continue our discussion at lunch. It wouldn't exactly be the party I wanted, but if we pulled it off then we'd still get to have fun, and maybe we'd get to help some kid.

* * *

BPOV

The number of occupants at our table seemed to grow daily, and we now had myself, Edward, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Jake, Leah, and Seth. Seth was a nice guy, but had a habit of hitting on me. I had told him time and again that I wasn't interested, but it didn't phase him. He seemed to be behaving himself today, with the exception of his greeting. "Well if it isn't my beautiful, Bella. Have you reconsidered my offer?"

I wasn't one of those girls that could be mean so I replied with a simple, "No, Seth."

He appeared to want to say something else to me before something to my right caught his eye and his face grew pale, "That's okay, I didn't really mean it anyway. Just a joke, you know?" He wasn't even looking at me when he said it, but he quickly sat down next to his sister and avoided looking at me the rest of lunch. I had turned to my right at one point to see what would have spooked him, but the only thing behind me was a wall. Edward was sitting next to me, but I don't know why that would freak him out.

We spent most of lunch talking about the possible fundraiser and what we would need to do to make it happen. Jasper and Edward offered to ask their moms for help since they were both experienced in organizing charity events. Seth offered to talk to Paul and Tyler to see if he could convince them to play. It didn't seem likely, but it was worth a shot. If nothing else, Edward said that he would bring his equipment and act as D.J. for us.

"What's gonna stop people from just walking into the party?" Alice asked.

The others looked at each other for a minute, "Well, I can ask my dad if he could do something about security. I'm not sure what he'd do exactly, but it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Ooh! If we can get businesses to donate food, then we can start at like noon and go through the night! We would have to have things for people to do to make it fun, but that way people can come throughout the day," Alice clapped her hands, excited by her suggestion.

"That would be good, as long as we could make it fun. Our uncle has his own inflatables business. Maybe we could see if he would be willing to come out for the day," Leah suggested.

Jake jumped up, "YES! That would be awesome!" We all laughed at him and eventually separated when the bell rang. If I was being honest, this fundraiser sounded like much more fun that the party Emmett originally wanted.

* * *

JPOV

After school, I drove Alice home once again. This time, there was no awkward silence and I was able to actually hold a conversation with her. We talked about the research group that my father was organizing, her little brother, and the fundraiser. I was surprised by Alice's suggestion at first. Most kids my age don't care about helping others, but she does. I liked that she seemed to care so deeply. I was too nervous to say anything to her, but I was quite taken with Alice.

I arrived home to my mother and two other people sitting at the dining room table. It was evident that they had all been crying, and I realized why when they turned to greet me. It was Mr. and Mrs. Tanner. They were talking about the donation fund that my mother set up for them and I figured this would be as good a time as any to ask about the fundraiser, "Mom, my friends and I were wondering if you could help with something."

She glanced at the Tanners before looking back at me, "Could this wait until a little later, honey? We have some important things to go over."

"We could talk later, if that would be more convenient. My husband and I have to get to the funeral home to make the final preparations," Mrs. Tanner supplied.

I stopped them before they could stand, "No! Please, stay. What I have to ask has to do with Bree."

Three sets of eyes were locked on me, making me squirm, "Alright son, we're listening," Mr. Tanner said.

"Well..." Now that I had their attention, I wasn't sure what all to say, "We wanted to have a fundraiser for Bree next weekend. My friend Alice found out about the donation fund you were setting up, and we all wanted to help. We have some ideas, but we were hoping my mom and Mrs. Cullen would be able to help us work it all out since they have experience with this kind of stuff."

Tears were once again present in all of their eyes and it was making me slightly uncomfortable, "Oh, honey! Of course I'll help!" She flung herself out of her chair and locked her arms around my waist, "This is a wonderful idea!"

Mrs. Tanner slowly rose from her seat and held her arms out to me. I've never been very comfortable around new people, and I didn't hug new people, with the exception of Alice and Bella, but I couldn't deny her this. I wrapped my arms around her thin frame and allowed her to cry softly into my shoulder. We remained like that for about a minute when I faintly heard her whisper, "Thank you."

I smiled softly at her and nodded. I had no idea what else to say or do. Mr. Tanner was easier to deal with. He simply shook my hand and said, "Thanks."

They left not long after, leaving my mother and I seated at the table, "So, Jasper, how did you and your friends come up with this idea?"

"Oh, it was all Alice's idea. Emmett wanted to throw a party, but it wasn' working out the way he wanted and she came up with the idea of turning it into a fundraiser for Bree. We are gonna try and get local businesses to donate food so that we can barbeque, my friend Edward is trying to get his band to play and if they won't do it he's gonna D.J., and Bella is gonna talk to her dad to see if he could help with security."

She smiled and wrote everything out on a notepad that was lying next to her, "Okay, and who is Mrs. Cullen? Is that a teacher at your school? Where are you planning on having this?"

"Oh...Mrs. Cullen is Edward's mom. I guess she puts together all sorts of charity events, so he thought she might be able to help. We were thinking of having it at First Beach. Edward has played there with his band before and has everything he would need to set up. Also, Leah is askin' her uncle if he could set up some of those inflatable bounce house things for entertainment."

Her head was bobbing up and down as I listed off everything we had come up with so far. Her head shot up as shot up as soon as she finished writing it out, "Alright, I need Mrs. Cullen's number so that I can call her. I want you to talk to your friends about setting up a time where we can all meet up and discuss everything, preferably tomorrow if not tonight. I have forms for businesses who want to donate so that they will get tax credit for the donation, which will help get more of them to donate time, money, or food. I need to check with the local chamber of commerce to see if we would need a permit to throw a function at First Beach..."

I interrupted her, "We don't. It's on the reservation, and Jake's dad is like the Chief or something."

"Wonderful! We will need to look into other forms of entertainment. People will get bored in a short period of time if there isn't much to do. We need to decide if we are going to have people pay to get into the event, or if we should charge for each activity."

"What do you mean? Wouldn't it be easier to charge by person?" I was a little curious why we would charge for each thing. It seemed like we wouldn't raise much money that way.

She looked up from her paper to explain, "Well, activities like bounce houses can actually bring in a lot of money at events like these. If you offer the food at a certain price than you can earn even more. It all depends on what we have to offer. If your friend can get her uncle to donate his inflatables then I will need to see what he has to offer. Some companies offer more than just bounce houses."

I sighed, "Are we biting off more than we can chew, mama?"

She smiled and ran her hand across my cheek, "No. If you had tried to do this all yourselves, then yes you would have, but you came to me. We'll work it all out." I was so grateful for my mom right now. If anyone could pull this off, it would be her.

* * *

RPOV

I was standing outside of my uncle's garage debating whether or not I should leave. I could hear Emmett and Jake inside, and I wasn't sure if they would want to see me. Emmett hadn't even looked at me once since Friday. I know that I'm the one pushing them away, but can't they understand why? I'm not like them. I don't have the luxury of being myself. People expect me to be a certain way, or act a certain way, and hanging out in a garage fixing up old beaters doesn't fit into my expected persona.

I could hear their voices rising. They were arguing over whether the problem with the car they were working on was the starter, alternator, or the relay. I had been listening and was pretty sure that the problem was in the alternator. Emmett seemed to agree with my assessment, but Jake was arguing that it was the starter. I finally had to stop their yelling because it was giving me a headache, "It's the alternator."

They both turned toward me and I internally cringed. I wouldn't let them see how much I was affected on the outside, but inside I was squirming under their gazes. The shock on their faces faded, leaving cold facades in its place. Jake was the first to break the silence, "You don't know anything about cars, remember? So why the hell should we listen to you?"

I narrowed my eyes, "You know why I said that, Jake. My parents would kill me if they found out I was working with you guys here."

Emmett scoffed, "No they wouldn't. You can still be their little princess and fix cars while you're at it, but you choose to hide who you are. You wanna blame your parents for _you_ not wanting anyone to know that the great, Rosalie Hale, likes to get greasy. The world would end if someone knew that you liked to fix cars, _and were good at it! _Heaven forbid people find out you have a brain!"

I couldn't hide the fact that his words affected me that time. I could feel the tears in my eyes and the way my body shook. I could see that he felt bad about the way he talked to me once he saw my eyes, but I couldn't break down. I know that he's right, but I can't help it. This is who I am. I can't just give up everything. Can I?

I heard him sigh and open his mouth to apologize, but I couldn't have that, "You're right, Emmett. Not really much I can do about that though."

The sound of metal clanging on metal caused me to jump slightly and I saw Jake turn to me, "That's bullshit, Rose, and you know it."

I couldn't take it anymore. They were breaking me down, and I couldn't deal with it, "I'll leave you guys to it. Good luck on the car."

"Rose...Rose!" Emmett's voice called to me, but I didn't stop. I ran straight to my car and jumped in.

****I need your help guys! I want to know your A)Favorite Band and B) your guilty pleasure. I've got something planned and need your input. They have to be bands or artists that are CURRENTLY PLAYING! If you know of any good Indie bands then let me know those too. Okay, that's it, thanks!****


	11. Chapter 11

****So here is the next chapter. I still need some band and song ideas, preferably ones that you think fit the characters situations or thoughts. I have one specific one that I am using for Edward, and an idea for a couple other characters, but I need some more ideas. If you have a suggestion just let me know. Enjoy****

RPOV

My phone rang once again, drawing my attention from the '67 Mustang I was hunched over. I glanced at the screen and silenced it when I saw Tanya's name. For the last few days she's been riding my ass because I've been blowing her and Jessica off. They keep trying to get me to go shopping, but with the mood I've been in, I would have done something stupid. As it was, I was hiding out at my uncle's house ever since I saw Emmett and Jake at the shop.

I hated that they were mad at me, but they never had a problem before. They used to be cool with just hanging out with me at the shop, but now, it's like they want more and I can't give it to them. I can't just go into school tomorrow and sit with them. That's not how things are done around here. I would be blacklisted so fast its not even funny. I like my lifestyle for the most part, but I do wish I had a little more freedom to be myself.

The phone rang once again, causing the headache I had earlier to throb. I wanted to smash my phone against the nearest wall and watch it shatter, but I didn't. Seeing Lauren's name gave me pause. She hadn't been around much either lately. I answered, hoping maybe she would distract me, "Hello?"

I could hear her inhale heavily before answering, _"Hey, Rosalie. It's me, Lauren."_

Her voice sounded off, almost like she was high, "Hey, Lauren. Everything okay?"

There was shuffling and I could hear a door close quietly, "Not really. I've been fighting with my parents again. Can I come over?"

I really wanted to be alone, but it sounded like she really needed me. Her parents were just as controlling as mine were, and a lot of the time we would end up together after fighting with them. I went back and forth in my head for a minute before agreeing. After hanging up, I rushed to wash up and rubbed some lotion into my hands. I was a fanatic about taking care of my hands because working on cars can be brutal, and everyone would notice. Taking one last longing look at the Mustang, I threw my jacket on and made my way home.

* * *

JPOV

My mother was a force to be reckoned with. I had only been home an hour and she had already called Mrs. Cullen who agreed to come over and bring Edward around seven, contacted Ron's Food Market and Lake Pleasant Grocery to see about donating food, and made dinner. It was my job to call Jake and the others about maybe coming over tonight, but I didn't have everyone's numbers, so I settled for calling Emmett and hoping he could call everyone else.

The phone rang a few times before I heard Emmett's deep voice through the speaker, _"Hello?"_

I cleared my throat, "Hey, Em. It's Jasper. Do you have a minute?"

I figured he was still at work because I could hear the hydraulic lift in the background, _"Sure, just give me a sec." _I heard him yell to Jake that he would be right back before he spoke again, _"Okay dude, what's up?"_

"I told my mom our plans and she agreed to help. She wants everyone to come by tonight to talk about it. Edward and his mom will be here around seven so you can come by around then."

_"Yeah, I can make it. I'll just bring Jake with me, but we might be a little late."_

"That's fine. I'm supposed to call everyone else, but I don't have everyone's numbers. I was wondering if you'd be able to call for me, or give me the numbers so I can call."

_"I'll text you the numbers. I'm still at work so I can't really call 'em. Whose number do you need?" _

"I need Bella, Alice, and Leah's numbers."

Emmett's boisterous laughter confused me for a second until he finally said something, _"Poor, Jasper. Didn't have the balls to ask the girls for their numbers so he had to go through me." _

I rolled my eyes. Granted, I was nervous about asking Alice for her number, but that didn't mean I couldn't have done it, "I wasn't afraid to ask them for their numbers. I just didn't think about it before."

He continued to harass me for a few minutes before finally letting me go. I didn't mind the ribbing. It reminded me of my friend Peter in Texas, who was also very outgoing and larger than life. I've always been a little on the shy side, so our friendship worked really well. I'm glad that I have my new friends here, especially Emmett and Jake. They push me without making me uncomfortable. When the text from Emmett came in I decided to start with Leah first.

* * *

APOV

The outfits today were a big success! I couldn't believe it. People were actually complimenting Bella and I which made me feel so good. I was a little worried about how people would react toward us, but I guess it was all for nothing. Bella even seemed more confident wearing the outfit we made together. I even started on some new sketches after Jasper dropped me off. They were still rough, but I could see them in my mind, and I knew they would be perfect.

I had to take a break in order to make dinner. Riley and I were planning on watching _Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring _since it was one of his favorites. I wasn't a big fan of the first one, but it had a lot of really hot actors in it. I always had a thing for Elijah Wood. That boy has some beautiful eyes.

The kitchen was a little bare. My mom never had the time to go grocery shopping, and I didn't have the money. I knew she got paid the day after tomorrow, but that didn't help the food situation now. I was probably going to be stuck making PB & J's for dinner. I tried reaching for the peanut butter that was on the top shelf when the phone rang. "Riley! Can you get that?"

I looked around for the little step stool we kept in here for me, but it was nowhere to be found. I thought about just climbing the shelves to get to it. I'm small, so it shouldn't be too hard, right? I grabbed onto the highest wooden shelf that I could reach, but before I could pull myself up, Riley's voice stopped me, "It's for you. Some guy named Jasper?"

I squealed loudly and ripped the phone from his hand. I think I scared him because his eyes were open wide and his mouth was agape. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and held the phone to my ear, "Jasper?"

His quiet laughter made me smile, _"Hello, Alice. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"_

I shook my head fiercely before realizing he couldn't see me, "Um, no. Not at all. What's up?"

I saw Riley smile before he puckered his lips and started making smoochie faces at me. I swung my hand to hit his arm, but he jumped out of the way screaming, "Alice and Jasper sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

I covered the mouth piece hoping to prevent Jasper from hearing my little brother's obnoxious rant, but his laughter told me I failed, "Sorry about that. My brother can be a pain sometimes."

_"That's alright, Alice. I don't mind. I was actually calling because I talked to my mom today."_

My ears perked up, "Oh yeah? What did she have to say? Will she help us?"

_"Yes ma'am, she will. She wants everyone to come over tonight to talk some more about it. I could come pick you up if that's a problem?"_

I really wanted to go, but I couldn't leave Riley alone. He may be thirteen, but mom still didn't want him being left home alone. I racked my brain trying to figure out a way to go, but nothing came to me. I finally gave up and answered, "I'm sorry. I can't. I have to watch my brother, and I'm getting ready to make dinner right now."

I heard him whisper something and tried to hear what he was saying, but apparently he is much better at covering the phone than I am, _"My mom said that your brother is more than welcome to come along, and she is making more than enough food if you would like to come over now. What do you say?" _

"I don't want to be an inconvenience."

_"Nonsense. I'll be there shortly."_

We hung up and I couldn't help but squeal a second time. Riley entered the kitchen with his hands covering his ears, "What's with all the squealing!? " When I stopped he laughed, "What did your boyfriend want?"

I punched him hard in the arm causing him to whine and rub the tender spot, "He's not my boyfriend, and we're going to his house for dinner tonight."

I watched his eyes roll and I wanted to smack him again, "Sounds like he's your boyfriend."

It was my turn to roll my eyes, "Our other friends are coming over too. We have some stuff to talk about."

"Whatever. At least they're gonna feed us."

* * *

BPOV

Tonight I was supposed to be asking Charlie about doing security for the fundraiser, so I was buttering him up by making grandma Swan's lasagna. I didn't think he would have a problem helping us out, but I wanted to soften him up just in case. I wasn't one to ask for things, so when I did he knew it was important to me and would usually comply. I hope this time won't be any different.

I made a small salad and popped some garlic bread into the oven to heat up while the lasagna finished cooking. The food only needed about five more minutes and Charlie was supposed to be home in fifteen. That would give the food enough time to cool, and me enough time to clean up my mess.

Just as I was finishing up my extra dishes I saw headlights through the kitchen window. Drying my hands quickly on a kitchen towel, I grabbed one of Charlie's beers from the fridge and set it down on the table next to his plate. I hurried through setting the food out on the table and poured myself a glass of milk. I finished in time to hear the door slam shut and plastered a huge smile on my face.

"Hi daddy!" I called out to him.

I could hear him removing his boots, jacket, and holster, hanging them up in the entry way. When he finally rounded the corner he I could see the suspicion in his eyes, "Daddy?" He caught sight of the food and beer on the table, "My favorite food, my favorite beer...what's going on Bells?"

I tried to sound calm, "What do you mean? I can't make you a nice dinner?"

His left eyebrow shot up and I could see his mustache twitch, "You called me daddy. You usually only pull that card if you're in trouble, or you want something."

I gestured to his chair, "Will you sit down, please. There is something I wanted to talk to you about."

He sat slowly, watching me like a hawk, "Is this about a boy? You're not pregnant are you?"

My eyes grew wide and I could feel the blush rising on my cheeks, "What!? No, I'm not pregnant! This isn't about a boy either. My friends and I are putting together a fundraiser to raise money for cancer research in honor of Bree Tanner. We were wondering if you would help us with security."

I watched as the air left his lungs in one long gush, "You scared me for a second there, Bells." He relaxed further into his seat and took a sip of his beer, "So, what's this about a fundraiser?"

I sat down too, thankful that the awkward conversation was over, "You heard about Bree Tanner dying from cancer right?" He nodded, "Well, our friend Jasper's mom set up a fund for cancer research in her name, and Alice came up with the idea to do a fundraiser to help out. We wanted to do an all day event at First Beach with food and entertainment, but we didn't know how to pull it off without some kind of security. I was hoping maybe you could help with that."

He shook his head, "Bella, I'm here to keep people safe, not chaperone parties. I can't spare men to play security."

"But it's not like Forks is Seattle or something! Nothing big ever happens here! Can't you just help out for a little while until you get a call or something. Maybe you could train some volunteers and they could do it, please?"

I watched patiently as his hand stroked his face, lingering on his mustache, "When are you planning on doing this?"

"We were thinking next weekend. Jasper and Edward's moms are helping with the planning. Speaking of which, Mrs. Whitlock would like us over there tonight around seven to work out the details."

His eyes narrowed into slits, "Jasper and Edward? I thought you said this wasn't about boys."

I rolled my eyes and huffed out a breath, "They are my friends. Alice, Leah, Jake, and Emmett will be there too. You have nothing to worry about. Now will you help us?"

I could hear a groan escape his lips and my shoulders slouched slightly. He hadn't said no, but I had a feeling it was coming, "I can't do it Bella, but I will agree to train some volunteers for you. Once you have the volunteers you need let me know and I will go over the basics with them, okay?"

"Thank you, dad!" I gave him a quick hug which caused him to grumble and turned his cheeks pink. I shot towards the stairs in an attempt to get ready when the phone rang. I was right next to it so I picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

_"Bella? Hi honey, it's your mom!"_

I was shocked to say the least. I hadn't heard from my mom in two years. The last time was when I was in her wedding to Phil. That was also the first time that I learned there was a Phil. In the last five years she has called me a handful of times. The only time I visited her was the summer she got married, and that was only for a month. She would usually just show up and stay for a couple of days before disappearing again. She was never one for settling down and staying in one place, so getting in touch with her was almost impossible. It was better to let her come to you.

"Mom?" I looked up to see Charlie's eyes locked on mine, with a look of surprise that must mirror mine.

_"Of course, baby! How are you doing?" _

"I'm good. How are you?" my stilted voice was obvious compared to her light and airy one.

_"I'm fantastic! Phil and I just finished the spare room! We've been working on it for weeks."_

She wanted to talk to me about her spare room? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It is Renee, "That's great, mom. Congrats."

Laughter rang through the phone and I pulled it away from my ear to look at it. Has she gone crazy? _"We did it for you sweetheart! That is why I'm calling. Phil and I want you to come finish out school here in Florida with us. Phil hasn't had a chance to get to know you yet, and he would really like to. Plus, you and I can hit all the shops. You will love Florida! It's always sunny and the beach is only a few minutes away!" _

I felt like I was going to faint. She wanted me to move to Florida!? "Mom, I'm not moving to Florida." I looked to see that Charlie's face turned beet red, his eyes were narrowed, and his lips were drawn into a thin line. He reached for the phone, but I held up a hand to stop him.

Renee was talking again and I tried to listen, _"You can't possibly want to stay in Forks! It's so dreary there. Here you could get a tan. You could also make some friends."_

That irritated me to no end and I clenched my fist, "I have friends. I have an entire group of friends."

_"Oh I didn't mean to say you didn't have friends, just that you could make new ones. I miss you, baby. I know you're going off to college soon, and I want to spend some time with you before that happens."_

Now she wants to spend time with me? If I were anybody else I probably would have told her where to stick her proposal, but I'm not, "I want to stay in Forks, mom. I like it here, and Charlie needs me." I heard Charlie huff, but ignored him.

_"Charlie can take care of himself. I'll give you two weeks to think about it. I'll give you my number, and if you really want to stay in Forks then you call me and I will accept your decision. If I don't hear from you by the end of the two weeks, I'll be on the first plane to Forks to pick you up."_

Rather than argue I took her number and told her that I would think about it. I didn't want to leave Forks, or my new friends, but maybe Florida would be good for me. At least I would get a chance to know my mom.

* * *

LPOV

Seth agreed to come with me to Jasper's tonight for moral support. I've decided to 'come out of the closet' at school tomorrow and I wanted to tell the gang first. I didn't think it would really matter to them, but I was still a little scared. What if they didn't want to be my friends anymore? It was nerve wracking to say the least, but I was going to do it. No more hiding who I am.

I decided to wait until we had gone over everything for the fundraiser first. I wanted everyone to be able to focus, instead of being distracted by my little declaration. I also wanted to be able to escape if things didn't go well. If I was being honest with myself, I wanted to wait because if they didn't want to be my friends after this, then I wanted a little more time with them.

When we finally got started I was surprised by how much actually went into planning a fundraiser. Jane and Esme, Jasper and Edward's moms, were dominating the conversation while we all stared in awe. Every time they asked for our opinion it was follwed by them listing the pros and cons, as well as giving alternate suggestions. To say I was lost would be an understatement. I didn't think we would need to do so much. I honestly thought we would just play music and people would donate money. It was turning out to be a lot more work than we were expecting. When they finally finished, almost two hours had passed and we had all been given assignments.

I was saying goodbye and about to head to my car when Seth nudged me, reminding me of my news. The tension and nerves from earlier reared their ugly head again, and I found myself sweating and wringing my hands together, "Um, guys? Can I talk to you all outside for a minute?"

They followed me out to the driveway, leaving Esme and Jane inside still going over a few details. Jasper noticed my nervous fidgeting first, "Everythin' alright, Leah?"

All eyes were on me and I gulped loudly. Seth's large paw on my shoulder helped soothe me enough to speak, "Well...there's something I wanted to tell you guys. I, um...well I'm a, uh..."

"You're a what, Leah? A homicidal maniac?" I shook my head, "A man in drag?" another shake, "A werewolf? I'm gonna keep guessing until you spit it out, and my guesses will only be getting worse."

I knew Emmett would keep up his insane guessing so I shut my eyes and told them, "I'm a lesbian. I'm coming out at school tomorrow, but I wanted you all to know first."

The silence was deafening and I had to know what they were thinking. I slowly pried my right eye open so that I could see their faces which was quickly followed by the left. They didn't seem angry, or disgusted, or freaked out at all. Emmett and Jake actually seemed excited by it which was a little weird. Bella's soft hand gripped mine, "Thanks for telling us. That takes guts."

"Dude, now we got ourselves a wingwoman!" Jake high fived Emmett and I actually laughed. They weren't judging me. They were actually okay with it.

* * *

EPOV

Lunch was going to be interesting today. Leah decided that the best time to 'come out' would be when everyone was together so that they all heard at once. Paul and Tyler hadn't shown up at band practice yesterday, so Seth and I were going to try and talk them into playing the fundraiser today. I would rather be sitting with Bella and the others, but this was important.

Tyler and Paul acted put out when we pulled them away from Mike and the others, but I didn't care. We led them to the table in the far corner so that we would have a little privacy because I knew they were about to throw a fit. Before we could say anything though, Leah hopped up on the table where the rest of the group sat and called out in a loud voice, "Everyone! I have an announcement to make! I'm gay! Thank you." Seth and I turned to look at each other before we burst into laughter. It was such a Leah thing to do, and it obviously got the attention of everyone in the school. Some people were laughing like us at her bold declaration, while others were staring at her in disgust.

Once the laughter died down enough to be heard I focused my attention on Tyler again, "So, there's been a change of plans for that party. They're going to..."

Tyler cut me off, "Look dude, I don't give a damn what's changed. We're not playing the stupid party. End of story."

I wanted to deck him, but Seth tried once again to reason with him, "Look, they're doing a fundraiser in honor of that girl who died. They want to..."

It was Paul's turn to interrupt, "I don't care what they want. Why the hell are you guys pushing it?"

I was about to respond when Bella and Leah approached us. I was momentarily distracted by deep brown eyes, but Leah's voice broke my trance, "Hey guys."

"Hey sis, Bella," Seth gave a small wave. I merely smiled and nodded in their direction, keeping my eyes on Bella.

I watched her lips move and forced myself to listen to what she was saying, "We were wondering what your decision was about the fundraiser. Did you decide to do it?"

Tyler stood up and scowled down at her, "No, we're not. Why don't you..."

I cut him off, standing to position myself between him and her, "Why don't you guys at least think about it?" I implored, "Let us know by the end of the day."

Bella spoke up once more, "Leah was telling me that you guys have some original songs that you play. Maybe you could..."

Tyler laughed condescendingly at her, "Listen sweetheart, we aren't playing your stupid party, and we definitely aren't gonna play any of Edward's whiny emo crap. So why don't you shut your mouth before I put it to better use?"

All thought flew from my mind and all I could see was red. My hands lifted from my sides and I pushed them forward into Tyler's chest, sending him flying across the table. Rather than walk around, I leapt up, landing on the tabletop and jumped to the other side, effectively landing on Tyler who was in the process of getting up. I bawled up my fist, letting it fly into Tyler's face twice before he recovered enough to retaliate.

I barely felt the blows that connected with my ribs, focusing on the damage my own fist was doing to his face. I wasn't sure how long we remained locked together, delivering blows to one another's body, until I was lifted from his prone form. I struggled for a minute before calming myself enough to realize what I had done. Tyler was lying flat on the ground, his nose broken and cockeyed, and blood covering his face.

I turned to see Emmett standing directly behind me. His arms were still gripping mine, but they were not as tight as they had been a minute ago. Jake was standing in front of Leah and Bella with Alice clutching Jasper's arm off to the side. Everyone in the cafeteria was huddled around us, but I wasn't concerned with them. Breaking Emmett's hold on me, I approached Bella who was shaking slightly, "Are you okay?" She nodded slightly, but once she caught sight of the blood covering my hands her face went pale. "Bella?"

I watched as her eyes rolled back into her head and her body went limp.

****So this isn't exactly what I wanted, but I got most of it in there. I hope you like it.****


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